


Nothing Comes As Easy As You

by dearestpml (rhettjmc), rhettjmc



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Girlfriends/No Wives, Anal Sex, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bad Decisions, Blackmail, Blow Jobs, Bottom!Rhett, Cheating, Dirty Talk, Drunk Blow Jobs, Drunken Flirting, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Infidelity, Love Confessions, M/M, Panic Attacks, Pining, Protective Rhett McLaughlin, Semi-Public Sex, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, Will update tags as we go, editor!link, lawyer!rhett, slight praise kink, top!Link
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:47:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 46,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27226780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhettjmc/pseuds/dearestpml, https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhettjmc/pseuds/rhettjmc
Summary: After being unhappily married for 4 years, Link finally decides to visit a divorce lawyer - who turns out to be his saving grace.
Relationships: Link Neal/Original Male Character(s), Rhett McLaughlin & Link Neal, Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 241
Kudos: 137





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!! welcome to my first chaptered fic!! 
> 
> The update schedule is... whenever I get round to it haha, I'm hoping for once a week!! I'll be updating the tags as I upload new chapters so watch out for that :) 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> TW for this chapter - implied domestic violence, no actual violent scenes or anything though!
> 
> As always, kudos and comments appreciated :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to a new fic! 
> 
> I'll update the tags as we go and TW every chapter if necessary! 
> 
> Enjoy and as always, kudos and comments are appreciated :) 
> 
> TW / small references to domestic violence, there is no actual descriptions of violence etc.

It wasn’t that Link was miserable. He didn’t have a whole lot of reason to be. He had a steady job, it made good money, it was something he enjoyed. He had a nice house, mortgage fully paid, decorated, mostly, to his taste and home to his sweet pup Jade and husband Daniel. He knew that Daniel didn’t particularly like Jade, he was always yelling at her to get from under his feet or rotating the same excuses as to why he couldn’t walk her - but Link had gotten Jade before he met Daniel, so he didn’t really care. Jade was staying. 

Don’t get him wrong, he loved Daniel, at least, he thought he still did. They’d met four years ago when he jump-started Link’s car in a Trader-Joe’s parking lot. Link was immediately drawn to his cropped sandy blonde hair and soft grey eyes and the way his tongue poked through his teeth when he giggled, they’d gone for a drink, as a way for Link to repay him for his help, and hit it off - the rest was history. 

They were married two years later, after moving into an average-sized townhouse, tucked in a quiet cul-de-sac, where everybody kept themselves to themselves. Link tried to protest, that the house was over an hour away from all of his friends and that he would have to transfer offices, but Daniel insisted. The honeymoon phase wore out pretty quickly, after a few months they were at each other's throats, with Daniel snapping at every little thing Link said. Link found himself purposely staying late at the office, way after Daniel had gone to bed, in order to avoid him - like any happily married couple. 

To Daniel’s… credit? He’d never turned it physical. Sure, he’d get up in Link’s face a few times, grip his hand tighter in public if Link spoke back, grabbing his wrist whenever Link tried to walk away, but he’d never resorted to hitting Link. 

Link owed him that much, _at least_ , he thought. 

So, logically, it made some sort of sense to Link that he found himself sitting in the parking lot of a law firm that specialised in divorce and family matters. He’d chosen one about half an hour away on Google, so no coworkers, or more importantly Daniel, would see his car in the parking lot and booked an initial appointment with one of their highly renowned lawyers, Jen Matichuk. 

He drummed his fingers clumsily against the steering wheel, talking himself in, and out, of actually entering the building. He noted the time, 3:54pm, he had six minutes until his appointment, and never to be one who was fashionably late, Link clambered out of the car, readjusting his grey slacks, before heading towards the door. 

Once outside of the main door, he buzzed to be let into the main reception, taking in a final shaky breath before pushing the door open, focusing heavily on putting one foot in front of the other. His legs shook as he climbed the grey-carpeted staircase, clutching the handrail tightly in his left fist. At the top, he was immediately greeted by the gentle buzz of conversation in the main reception, a small group of people huddled behind the receptionist's desk, deep in friendly chatter. Link stood awkwardly for a few moments, shifting his weight between each foot, not wanting to interrupt their conversation, before timidly clearing his throat to make his presence known. 

The group of people turned to look at Link, quickly apologising for their rudeness, to which Link ensured them it was okay. The small crowd dispersed, some heading down the large hallway and scurrying away in their respective offices, apart from a large man that remained perched on the edge of the desk, his abnormally long limbs stretch out in front of him. Link allowed himself to quickly scan over the gentleman, noting the broad shoulders that hid underneath a crisp white dress shirt and navy blazer, cuffed neatly at his wrists, His hair, honey blonde and adorned with unsymmetrical curls, pulled back into a slick bun, leaving his large - but neatly groomed - beard to frame his face. He was certainly attractive, not Link’s usual type granted, but intriguing nonetheless. After a few seconds of staring, he shook his head softly, drawing his attention back to the petite blonde woman behind the desk. 

“Hi, uh- I’m Charles Neal, I have a meeting with Miss Matichuk at 4pm” He said, swallowing thickly as his stomach wrenched and twisted in anxious knots. He watched as the receptionist frowned slightly, punching a few keys on the keyboard, before hastily straightening up to look at Link with sympathetic eyes. 

“I’m sorry, Sir, but Jen was called out on a family emergency just over an hour ago, someone should’ve been in contact with you bout’ it” She said in a soft southern accent, offering him a sincere, apologetic smile. 

Link’s felt another twist in his gut, he knew this was the only time he would be able to speak to someone whilst Daniel was away on business. He desperately tried to ignore the panic rising in his throat, he’d be dammed if he had yet another panic attack in public, surrounded by strangers, wincing at the memory of last week’s Target-induced freakout. 

“I see- uh- that's, uh- no problem” Link stumbled over his words, carding shaky fingers through his hair, trying to ground himself as he took a few slow breaths. 

“Hey man, if you don’t mind me askin’, what was it you were seein’ her about? Maybe I can help instead” The tall man piped up, looking at Link with his grey-green eyes over a mug of steaming coffee. He offered Link a gentle, reassuring nod - as if he knew Link needed talking down from the edge. 

“Oh, uh- just some questions, ‘bout the whole… process” Link said, carefully choosing his words whilst gesturing vaguely with his hands. 

“I’m just as much as a lawyer as Jen and I’ve got a free hour, I’m happy to answer questions, if you’d let me” He replied, the familiar southern twang of his voice was music to Link’s ears. Link mulled over the offer for a few silent moments, ideally, he wanted to get the least amount of people as possible involved, but the situation he found himself in didn’t exactly offer him much of a choice. It was now or never. Literally.

“If you’re not busy, that’d be grand” Link answered quietly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his slacks, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth anxiously. He watched as the taller man promptly downed the rest of his coffee, tipping his head back graciously to gather every last drop from the mug. 

“My office is last on the right, go make yourself at home. I’ll grab you some coffee” He replied, pushing himself up from the desk, his unfathomably long legs quickly carrying him towards a back room within seconds. 

Link nodded dumbly to nobody, before spinning on his heels and pacing slowly down the hallway to the left of him. He dragged his fingertips across the steel grey wallpaper as he walked, a ground technique he had learnt from his secret therapy sessions, as he crept further down the corridor, he reached up to unbutton the top button of his shirt, graciously allowing himself a little extra room to breathe. Lord knows he’d need it. 

As he eventually reached the final door on the right, he noticed the engraved plaque sitting high on the door. 

** _Rhett McLaughlin, Bachelor of Law._ **

Rhett. He thought. Weirdly, from the few minutes he had spent with the man, Link thought it suited him. _Strong and… confident._

He tentatively opened the door, revealing a cosy, yet spacious office. It was fairly modern, walls covered in exposed brick and adorned with various academic certificates, awards and newspaper clippings hung in cherry wood frames. A dark oak desk stretched across the middle of the room, nestled on top of a rich maroon rug, positioned in front of a tall leather desk chair. Link noted the array of scattered papers strewn haphazardly across the top, surrounding his space-grey MacBook tilted at a 45-degree angle, various cups stuffed full of pens and screwed up post-it-notes. What caught Link’s eye was the NC State Wolfpack jersey that hung above his desk, _McLaughlin_ embroiled on the back in thick black letters, followed by the number 11. Link was taken aback, he figured that Rhett was a similar age to him, meaning they must have attended NC State at the same time, he pondered over the thought, before being torn from his mind by the sound of Rhett shuffling through the door, a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and a sleeve of cookies in the other. 

“Take a seat man” Rhett smiled softly, nodding his head towards the empty leather armchair opposite his desk. Link obliged, sinking into the soft material, folding one leg over the other to sit comfortably. “I’m Rhett by the way, if you hadn’t already seen the obnoxious plaque on the door” He continued, rolling his eyes in jest, turning to the wooden record player in the corner, placing an old country record on the turntable.

“I had spotted that” Link replied, his lips tugging into a small smile. “I’m Charles, but uh- please call me Link…I was just admiring your jersey, I’m surprised our paths haven’t crossed before” Link said shyly, pulling at a thread on the cuff of his blazer, he winced inwardly as he knocked against the finger-shaped bruise painted on his wrist - remnants of last weeks argument. 

“Ah, you have good taste in colleges I gather” Rhett chuckled, walking behind his desk to perch in the desk chair, seemingly unaware of Link’s moment of pain. “Please, help yourself to sugar and creamer” He continued, gesturing towards the small tea tray in the corner. Link reached out a steady hand to grab his coffee, pushing up off of the chair with the other arm and gingerly walking over to the tray. He scooped four spoons of cream into his mug, methodically stirring and clinking the spoon against the china. He took a tentative sip, still facing the wall, smiling softly as the smooth blend slid down his throat, the combination of the caffeine and the quiet hum of Brooks and Dunn calmed his nerves slightly. 

“So, you had some questions?” Rhett said after Link was back in his seat, Link watched as the man leaned forward, elbows on the desk, resting his bearded chin in his palms. Link tensed slightly, raising the mug to his lips to take another sip of his drink, buying himself some extra seconds to compose himself. 

“I, uh- Don’t really know anythin’ about the whole process I guess? Is it, like - real complicated and drawn out?” Link sighed, nestling the scalding mug between his palms. 

“Don’t have to be, if both parties want the same thing, can be over in a matter of weeks” Rhett shrugged simply, his fingers twisting in his beard thoughtfully. Link visibly sunk in his seat, he daren’t ask of the complications involved when your own husband is blissfully unaware that his spouse is sat in the office of a divorce lawyer. 

Rhett must’ve caught on to Link’s bleak expression, “But if it’sa one way thing, thats fine too” He quickly added, “It’sa little more work, but nothin’ we can’t handle” He smiled encouragingly, twiddling a pen between his slender fingers. Link hummed quietly in acknowledgement, his mind wandering to how Daniel would react when he came clean about all of this. He’d probably be thrown out on the street.

_Shit._ He thought. Link had suddenly become very aware that he hadn’t mentioned to Rhett that he was married to a man, although most people were generally accepting these days, the fear of being ridiculed was still buried deep in the pit of his stomach. The taunts on the playground still echoed in his mind. Link inadvertently shuddered at the thought, twisting his wedding band on his finger, pulling it off in his familiar nervous habit. 

“Nobody has to know you were here, man, It’s alright, it's all confidential. I know it must to be hard for ya, it’s not often we see the men walk away” Rhett offered with kind eyes, studying Link’s face carefully. Link opened his mouth to speak, but dumbly closed it when no words came. He set his coffee cup on the desk, allowing his now free hands to rub firm circles on his temples, attempting to shift the headache that clung to his skull. This was not going to be easy.

After an hour of Rhett asking thoughtful, sensitive questions and carefully coaxing answers from Link, both men let the conversation fizzle to a comfortable end, around the same time that the record stopped spinning in the corner. Link wiped the remnant crumbs from the cookies they had shared on his pant leg, figuring he’d worry about the chocolate stain later. 

“Thank you for this, Rhett, seriously” Link said softly, standing to collect the blazer he had shrugged off earlier on in the conversation. He flushed with embarrassment as he struggled to get his right arm through the sleeve, silently cursing himself for being so clumsy and useless. Rhett simply chuckled, making his way round the desk to help the smaller man into his jacket, his long fingers holding the soft fabric still, allowing Link to easily slip his arm through the hole. Link only flushed a darker crimson, realising the intimacy of the gesture, something he hadn’t experienced for a good few months now. 

“Anytime, man. Glad I could help” Rhett replied gently, his voice soft and smooth like honey in Link’s ear, the taller man still stood close behind him. Link turned to face him, stepping back slightly before extending his arm for a handshake, wrapping his fingers around Rhett’s palm firmly. 

“Hey, um- take my card, its got my number on it. Go home and think about everythin’ we’ve talked about - if you really want to go through with it, or if you have any other questions, just give me a text” Rhett continued, one hand still in Link’s as he fished into his back pocket for a small, printed business card. 

Link took it graciously, swallowing thickly as he released Rhett’s hand, carefully tucking the glossy card into his breast pocket - he figured he’d be needing that number sooner or later.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to chapter 2! This is kinda short and crummy, its more of a filler chapter before we get into the real stuff in the next few chapters! No content warnings for this one, apart from vague references to the nature of Link and Daniel's relationship :)

Link huffed in defeat, shoving his glasses further up his nose with his index finger. His back ached and his head was pounding unforgivingly, as his fingers cramped around the pen poised in his hand, he figured it was time to call it a night. He scribbled his concluding thoughts on the screenplay in front of him, telling himself he could finish the rest tomorrow after a decent nights sleep. He glanced up at the clock, reading that it was now 10:35pm, it was safe to assume that Daniel would be in bed, hopefully asleep, by now. Pushing back the chair, Link stretched out his arms above his head, his eyes fixing on the small framed photo of him and Daniel on their wedding day, he sighed in frustration, bringing his hands back down to flip the frame over, he didn’t want to think about it. 

Unfortunately, he knew that eventually, he _would_ have to think about it. There was little doubt in Link’s mind that this was what he wanted - he was unhappy. The little friends he had outside of Daniel had started to notice how miserable Link was, his co-editor Alex had tried to broach the subject many times, only to be quickly shut down by Link, who insisted he was just tired, that it had been a long day. Yet his awful tendency to overthink made him wonder if he was just being dramatic, selfish even. His Mama had always called him a worrier, he'd often work himself up into such a state over the smallest things when he was younger, like he didn't have an off switch for his brain when it started to work at a thousand miles an hour. Maybe it _was_ all in his head? Maybe he _was_ just becoming unbearable to live with in his 40s - he was constantly rearranging bookshelves, sweeping and mopping the floors for hours on end, snapping at Daniel when he'd traipse over them minutes later in his dirty boots. A lot of people had always told Link that he'd better not let go of Daniel, _he was a keeper_ , _not many people would put up with your neurotic tendencies_ , they'd joke. Maybe he _did_ deserve to be put in his place once in a while and maybe he'd just wasted $200 on an appointment with a divorce lawyer.

But, seriously, _was this all there was to life?_ A 9-5 job that quickly turned into a 7-10:35 job to avoid his husband, his only friend being a miniature dachshund (who was currently snoring softly in a crate under his desk - he couldn't leave her at home for that long without him, Daniel would never think to feed her). Surely there had to be more, he was only 42 for christ sake, he was only halfway through life.  With that in mind, Link opened the top drawer of his desk, rifling through a few papers to find the small printed card Rhett had given him the other day. He pulled it out from the drawer, holding it carefully between his thumb and forefinger, inspecting the ostentatious gold, printed lettering across the brown shiny card. 

_Rhett McLaughlin - Family and Relationships Solicitor._

_Contact:_ [ _rhettmc@mythlawfirm.org_ ](mailto:rhettmc@mythlawfirm.org) _/ (_ [ _905-555-0104_ ](https://fakenumber.org/generator-us/burlington905-555-0104) _)_

Link smiled at how ornate the business card was, from just the hour he had spent with Rhett he could tell that wasn’t his style. He was a gentle giant - sure, his height gave him a natural air of confidence, but it certainly did not translate into arrogance. Rhett was soft and kind, caring and gentle, his presence was calming and reassuring - grounding, like coming up for air. Link was so pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to slip away from the real world behind the four walls of Rhett’s office, chatting over mugs of coffee whilst the record player cracked quietly in the corner - it was easily the most relaxed he had felt in a long time. His heart swelling at the thought, he reached for his phone, carefully typing in the number.

**Link:** _Hi Rhett, sorry it’s late. It’s Link._ _Just wanted to thank you for the other day._

Link figured it was friendly enough, but assumed he wouldn’t receive a reply until the morning now, so he set about gathering up his things, packing stacks of paper neatly into his briefcase. As he rose to grab his coat from the hook, his phone vibrated abruptly on the desk - causing Jade to yap at the sudden noise. He gathered her into his arms, soothing her quietly as he sat back down in his desk chair and reached for his phone.

**Rhett:** _Hey man! It’s no bother, seriously. I was_ _wondering if I'd be hearing from_ _you._ _Did you speak to your wife when_ _you got home?_

Link inwardly cringed, remembering that he hadn’t mentioned the fact he was gay yet. Maybe he should mention it over text, that way if he reacted badly he wouldn’t have to see him again. He swallowed the nerves building in his throat as he typed out a quick response. He needed a few more minutes to figure out how he'd broach the topic.

**Link:** _Uh_ , _no. Not yet._

**Rhett:** _I see. No rush, I guess you haven’t_ _fully decided yet anyway._

Link swallowed thickly again, his eyes darting to the upturned photograph on his desk. He wanted to do this. He did.

**Link:** _No, I have decided. I want to do this._

**Rhett:** _Then you’ll have to tell her sooner or later_ _for us to move forward, Link. Trust me,_ _dragging it out only makes it worse,_ _for both of you._

Link winced again at the pronoun, he figured he shouldn’t let this go on any longer, he knew he wasn’t intentionally keeping it from Rhett, but he couldn’t help but feel deceitful - something else he should probably work on in therapy. 

**Link:** I’m _sorry, I haven’t been entirely_ _honest with you._

The reply was almost instant. 

**Rhett:** _??????_

Here goes nothing, he thought. He silently detested the fact that at 42 years old he still met new people every single day that he had to come out to, it never got easier.

**Link:** I _don’t have a wife, I’m married to a man._ _I’m gay._

Link felt sick as he watched the three dots appear, he figured he’d have to start looking for a new lawyer, maybe the whole idea really was stupid, maybe he should consider himself lucky that he found someone who married him in the first place-

**Rhett:** _Oh! That’s fine. Sorry for presuming, or_ _if I made_ _you feel like you_ _couldn’t tell me._

Link let out a shaky breath. _Thank god._ Not an asshole. In fact, the total opposite.

**Link:** It _wasn’t you, I promise. Guess_ _I’m still scared of peoples reactions._

**Rhett:** _I get it. Thanks for telling me, Link._

I get it? Link made a mental note to bring that up in the future. His phone buzzed again.

**Rhett:** _Did you want me to pass your number on to Jen?_

_Right_. Rhett wasn’t even _his_ lawyer.

**Link:** Oh, _right. Yeah, I guess you can._

**Rhett:** _I can take your case if you want me to,_ _I just know you originally wanted her. I didn’t_ _want to assume._

Link felt his chest bloom, he smiled softly to himself.

**Link:** _I want to work with you, Rhett, if_ _that's okay._

**Rhett:** _More than okay buddyroll. Shall we meet in a few_ _days_ _and_ _discuss how we move forward?_

_We._ Link liked the sound of that. 

**Link:** _Sounds great. Let me know and I’ll head over_ _on my lunch break. Thank you :)_

**Rhett:** _Anytime, man. Night_

**Link:** _:)_

Link smiled softly to himself, slipping his phone into his pocket, standing to take Jade under one arm with his briefcase in the other hand and headed out of his office, locking it behind him. As he walked down the corridor towards the exit, he felt lighter than he had when he’d walked into work this morning, he didn’t feel like he was alone in his own mind anymore. Sure, Rhett was strictly a professional relationship, he knew Rhett was only being friendly and caring because it was his job and Link was paying him generously - but he at least felt like he could trust him. That was a start.

He headed out to his car, throwing his bag in the trunk before setting Jade carefully in the passenger seat.

The roads were empty at this time of night, give or take a few taxis cruising around the block. He reached for the radio, allowing the soft melodies of a country love song to fill the car, he smiled to himself, relaxing further into his leather seat - imagining the soft crackles of a record player and the smell of coffee as he drove. 


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Welcome to chapter three!
> 
> Thanks for all of your lovely comments and kudos so far <3 
> 
> Just a short chapter today, the next chapter after this will be the conversation Rhett and Link have in his office where we learn a little bit more about Rhett and some Soft™ moments! Hopefully will be up later this week :)
> 
> No TW for this chapter - Enjoy!

Link groaned in frustration, slamming his hand down on the alarm clock that was currently screaming in his ear to get up. He rubbed his eyes vigorously before letting out a silent yawn, trying his hardest not to rouse his sleeping husband next to him, 5am was too early to start an argument about how Link should be more considerate in the mornings. With that in mind, Link quietly slipped out of bed, not bothering to take a second look at Daniel before padding into their ensuite and locking the door behind him. 

As he filled the faucet with warm water, he began to run over his schedule for the day - he’d woken up early to visit Rhett before he went into work. They’d arranged it the day after Link had first texted him, Rhett had apologised profusely that he could only give Link a 7am appointment, but he was swamped with other cases and clients. Link didn’t care, he liked getting out of the house as soon as possible anyway - whether it be for a run, taking Jade out, getting to the office two hours early. He thought he’d stop at the drive-through on the way and pick up a coffee for Rhett, it seemed like the courteous thing to do since Rhett was coming into work so early just to see Link, he thought about texting Rhett to see what kind of coffee he liked, but ultimately decided against it - he didn’t want to come across weird or like he was trying to hit on him, he’d only met the man once. 

Link sighed as he towel-dried his face, noticing the dark circles that had crept under his eyes, it was no surprise really, he’d spent the past few nights (much to Daniel’s irritation) tossing and turning, fretting over just about everything. He grabbed his clear-framed glasses from the cabinet and settled them onto his nose, silently thanking the universe that they seemed to cover the tired skin under his eyes. He quickly ran some coconut pomade through his hair, styling the ever-greying mop into a respectful quiff - ideally, he would’ve shaved the silver stubble poking through his chin and jaw, but there was no time, it was only Rhett anyway, he wouldn’t care what he looked like as long as Link was handing over his hourly fee. 

After scrubbing his teeth, Link slipped out of the bathroom and pulled on his tight, dark jeans, followed by a newly washed grey tee and mustard cardigan, he wanted to look casual, he didn’t want to seem like he was trying too hard for Rhett, besides he’d been working for his employer long enough that his boss didn’t particularly care what he wore in the office, as long as the work was done. As he crept to his side of the bed, he unplugged his phone and slid it into his back pocket - just as it chimed. 

**Rhett:** Just checking you can still make it this morning? I didn’t want to be at the office that early for nothing :p 

Link smiled to himself, he almost laughed at how endearing it was for a man with a law degree to be using emojis. As he began typing back reassurance that he would in fact be there, Daniel began to stir in the bed. 

“Who's texting you this early” Daniel grumbled, rubbing his eyes with his knuckles. 

“Uh- just work, making sure I’d be there for an early meeting” Link blagged, it was technically half true anyway. 

“Right, turn the sound off would’ya” Daniel replied deadpan, seemingly unbothered as he rolled back over. 

“Yeah, sorry - see you later” Link said quietly, heading for the bedroom door. 

“Yup. Bye” Daniel responded, huffing slightly as he settled back to sleep. 

Link caught himself rolling his eyes, there was a time when Daniel would’ve pulled Link back into bed, plastering his face with kisses and tickling him until Link agreed to stay. They would’ve gotten up together and made breakfast whilst singing to the radio, stealing kisses and Daniel would playfully swat Link if he tried to dip his finger in the pancake batter - it seemed like an age ago now. Link found his chest aching, he couldn’t remember the last time he had felt loved like that, he still couldn’t work out how it had gone so stagnant, so quickly. 

Determined as ever, Link pushed the feelings to the back of his mind, retrieving his phone from his pocket and hastily typing his response. 

**Link:** I’ll be there. See you soon. 

As he padded down the stairs, he noticed Jade scrambling to her feet to greet him, her tail wagging at the same excited speed it did every morning. If Link had it his way, she’d sleep in the bed with him - but of course, he didn’t have it his way and Daniel insisted she slept downstairs in her crate. He bent over to give her gentle scratches behind the ears, before scooping her up and carrying her into the kitchen. He poured her favourite kibble into her food bowl, then began packing his briefcase for the day as she munched away happily. He silently debated with himself, wondering if he should just leave Jade home for the day, she’d have to stay in the car whilst he saw Rhett - but he figured that wouldn’t be as bad as being at home alone all day, with the risk that Daniel would forget to feed her. He grabbed his keys from the hook and Jade took that as her signal to trot over to the front door, waiting patiently as Link pulled on his jacket and sneakers. 

\- 

Ever impressed with his ability to be nothing but punctual, Link pulled into the parking lot of the law firm five minutes early. As he sought out a place to park, he spotted Rhett, leaning against a sleek black car - dressed in slim fitting black suit and matching dark tie. He offered a warm smile as Link pulled into the space next to him, leaning down to open Link’s door as the smaller man clambered to gather his things in his arms. 

“You’re early” Rhett grinned as he stepped aside to let Link out. The sun was still rising over the office complex behind them, the sky painted with warm tones of orange - Link noted how Rhett’s curls had subtle honey and ginger tones under this sky - it suited him.

“I woulda been even earlier if I hadn’t stopped to get us coffee” Link replied sheepishly, a small smile tugging at his lips, reaching to grab the two Starbucks cups he had picked up from the drive-through on the way, careful not to disrupt Jade who was silently snoozing on the passenger seat. 

“I hope you’re thirsty then” Rhett laughed, reaching into his own car to produce two thermal flasks of his own, raising them in jest. 

“Oh! Sorry- I knew I should’ve asked you first” Link said quietly, flushing with embarrassment. 

“Hey don’t apologise man, I’ll save this one for when I’m in court later” Rhett said, still smiling as he lifted up his own thermal flask and placed it back into his cup holder. “You should definitely taste the one I made you though, I got a new roast and everything” He continued, holding out the remaining flask to Link. 

“Thank you” Link replied, trading one of his Starbucks cups for the flask, raising it to his lips to hide the smile forming at the corner of his mouth. 

“Shall we?” Rhett asked, gesturing in the direction of the building, clicking his keys to lock his car.

“Sure, hopefully Jade will sleep until I get back” Link said, mainly to himself, worry laced in his voice as he looked through the window at his curled-up puppy. 

“Jade?” Rhett asked, his eyebrow quirked in confusion, trying to peek around Link’s shoulder to look in his car.

“Uh- yeah, my dog, I usually bring her to work with me because, uh-“ Link started, cutting himself short when he realised he was about to start rambling about his dysfunctional marriage before they’d even entered the building. He stepped aside to let Rhett peer through this window.

“Oh! She’s so cute” Rhett whispered, his eyes crinkling into a besotted smile. “You can bring her in if you like, you’ll be gone before anyone clocks in” He continued, his eyes still trained on Jade.

“Really? Are you sure?” Link asked, taken aback by the offer. Rhett nodded, almost excitedly, Link wondered if Rhett had time for a dog, perhaps his partner looked after it whilst he was at work - like a normal couple. Link fumbled, trying to juggle his coffee cups, car keys and briefcase at once, with little success. 

Rhett chuckled endearingly, “Here, can I get her for you?” He asked softly, waiting for permission before he approached her. 

“If you don’t mind” Link replied, his cheeks flushing red with embarrassment for the second time that morning. He watched with soft eyes as Rhett scooped up Jade from the leather seat, Link’s heart almost exploded at how tiny she looked against Rhett’s frame and just how gentle Rhett handled her, as if not to wake her. Rhett looked up at Link and smiled gently, cradling Jade in his long arms as Link locked up the car and grabbed their coffees that he’d set down in his struggle to balance everything. 

“After you” Rhett whispered, cautious not to scare Jade, nodding towards the office as he smoothed a gentle hand over Jade’s head. Link felt an ache in his chest as he headed for the door, it wasn't even 7am and he was already _feeling_ things. 


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to part 4 :) No TWs for this chapter! :)
> 
> Sorry that it's pretty short! School has been full-on this week.
> 
> Enjoy <3

By the time Link had settled into the leather chair in front of Rhett’s desk with Jade back on his lap, he had deduced that he wasn’t really _feeling_ things, he couldn’t be, he was just lonely - painfully lonely. He’d only met Rhett once, he was kind and attractive and Link was lonely, obviously his brain was going to malfunction a little bit. It certainly didn’t help how Rhett had carried Jade up the stairs, into his office, cooing at her the whole way, _god._

_Snap out of it_ , he scolded himself, Rhett would most definitely be horrified if he knew what Link was thinking right now - it was almost embarrassing, he couldn’t even begin to imagine how many ladies had sauntered into his office, marital problems in tow, leaving with a huge crush on the 6”7 attractive lawyer - and now Link? He was so pathetic. 

“So, what did you think?” Rhett asked, taking a seat in his desk chair, breaking Link from his self-torment. 

“Huh?” Link replied, unsure if he had missed a chunk of conversation whilst he was daydreaming.

“About the coffee?” Rhett said bashfully, nodding towards the flask gripped in the hand Link wasn’t petting Jade with. 

“Oh! It’s delicious, puts my Starbucks crap to shame” Link replied, suddenly embarrassed at his measly effort to impress Rhett. 

“No, it was really thoughtful of you, I don’t think a client has ever got me coffee before” Rhett said sincerely, offering Link a small smile. 

Right, _client_ , Link thought. 

“Anyway, we better get started, don’t want to make you late for work” Rhett continued, tapping away at his laptop, eyes trained closely on the screen. The murmur of conversation had rouse Jade from her slumber, her ears perked up at the unfamiliar voice, she shot up immediately, letting out a little yelp in Rhett’s direction. “Oh! Good morning gorgeous” he cooed, offering his palm out for Jade to sniff. Link tried, and failed, to grab her as she bounded onto the desk and into Rhett’s lap, shooting a few pieces of official-looking paper onto the floor. 

“Jade!” Link exclaimed, quickly scrambling to pick up the papers “I’m so sorry” he grimaced, realising how badly he’d already fucked up.

“Hey, it’s fine! She’s too cute to be mad at, that’s nothing important anyway” Rhett giggled as Jade licked his nose happily. Link let out a breath he didn’t realise he’d been holding - this was yet another reminder that Rhett _wasn’t_ Daniel - it wasn’t making the whole attractive-lawyer-to-fill-the-loneliness thing any easier. Nevertheless, Link gathered all of the papers from the floor and stacked them neatly back on the desk where they had come from, allowing a quick glance to the bearded man currently rubbing Jade’s tummy. 

“Do we need to figure out a joint custody deal for her?” Rhett grinned, flipping Jade back over, allowing her to curl up on his lap. 

“Nah, I’ll be taking her, my husband doesn’t really care for her” Link sighed, cracking his knuckles out of habit. Rhett frowned at Link’s answers, but didn’t pry, he figured there would be plenty of time for that sooner or later. “You’re really good with dogs, have you got one?” Link asked, quickly changing the subject. 

“No, I’d love to get one someday though” Rhett answered, scratching behind Jade’s ears. 

“Does your partner like them too?” Link asked without thinking, instantly cringing at how forward it sounded.

“Partner?” Rhett laughed, a grin spreading across his face “I haven’t had one of those for a long time” 

“What?! I can’t believe that” Link said, dumbfounded, he seemed pretty damn perfect to Link. 

“Comes with the profession I guess, seen too many relationships go wrong to get involved with one myself” Rhett smiled sadly, looking up to meet Link’s eyes for a second. 

“Makes sense I guess” Link shrugged gently, trying to ignore the pounding feeling in his ribs. 

“We _really_ should start now” Rhett said, a more genuine smile tugging at his mouth. Link nodded in agreement, raising the flask to his lips to take a few sips. 

“I’ve just gotta ask some basic questions first, get an idea of what I’m working with” Rhett said, a more formal tone attached to his voice now. “So, how long have you been with your husband? Both married and before that” 

“Uh, I met Daniel four years ago and we got married two years ago” Link said, trying to calculate the exact dates in his mind. He noticed a confused look painted on Rhett’s face as he tapped away at his keyboard. “What?” Link asked, not unkindly, but he was worried he’d already messed up.

“No, nothing, just we don’t usually get people who have been married for such a short period of time” Rhett answered honestly, looking up at Link when he’d finished typing. Link squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, Rhett’s answer had instantly made him anxious. 

“It’s not a bad thing, it does happen, just people usually stick it out even though they’re unhappy, you’re doing the right thing” Rhett said softly, noticing Link’s change in demeanour. Before Link could respond, Rhett was scooping Jade up and reaching over the desk to pop her back into Link’s lap. Jade whined slightly, but Rhett just gave her a little kiss on the head before whispering “I know, but I think your Dad needs you more” before setting her down and returning to his seat. 

The gesture made Link’s throat tighten immediately, he held onto Jade tightly as he looked away for a second, blinking away the water pooling in his eyes. 

“You okay to carry on?” Rhett asked kindly, lowering the lid of his laptop and turning his full attention to Link. 

“Yeah, all good, sorry - I feel like I’m wasting your time” Link said awkwardly, staring down at Jade in his lap, rhythmically stroking circles on her small head. 

“Link, hey, you’re not - I don’t care how many sessions it takes us, we go at your pace, I know this isn’t an easy thing to do, especially not on your own, so please don’t apologise, I’m here as long as you need me” Rhett said softly, reaching over the desk to offer Link his hand. Link hesitantly extended his own, his heart thumping as Rhett squeezed his hand gently, rubbing a soothing thumb over the back of his hand before letting go. 

“Thank you” Link said quietly, his hand still resting on the desk, warm and tingly. “Hit me with the next question” He said a little more charismatically after clearing his throat, offering a small grin to the bearded man opposite him.

So Rhett did and Link managed to answer everything, they were pretty standard questions, ones with little emotion attached to them - _Whose name is the house under, do you have any shared assets, do you want to keep this case out of court… -_ They were all easy for Link, he didn’t really care about the house or the money, he didn’t want to drag it out in a courtroom, he just wanted out, he just wanted to start his life over. 

As the meeting came closer to the end, Link found himself growing restless, he wasn’t prepared to leave the sanctity of Rhett’s office yet. It wasn’t often Link found somebody who he felt he could truly trust, he had best friends and family back where he used to live, but they eventually lost touch after Daniel uprooted and moved the both of them over an hour away from home. Apart from his Mama on the phone, he barely spoke to anyone that wasn’t his boss, his coworker Alex or Daniel, he had no outlet for the chaos in his mind. He needed someone, and Rhett had shown him the first bit of kindness and sincerity he had experienced in a long time - he knew if he had ended up with the other lawyer, he never would’ve booked a second appointment. He couldn’t do this without Rhett.

“So, next time, we really need to start talking about the reasons behind your decision” Rhett said carefully after a while, analysing Link’s face closely to spot any signs of discomfort.

“I know” Link sighed, biting at his thumbnail nervously, a habit that he could never seem to shake. 

“We can take it at your own pace, I can book out extra time for our appointment if that would help?” Rhett replied, quickly opening up the calendar on his laptop. 

“Can I text you and let you know? I need to book a day off work” Link said, consciously aware he was taking up more and more of Rhett’s time. Besides, it wasn’t a lie, Link had plenty of vacation to use and he figured it would take a while to mentally prepare himself - he doubt Daniel would notice anyway.

“Sure! You have my number” Rhett said, shutting his laptop down and leaning back to stretch his legs in his office chair.

Link nodded, scooping Jade into his arms as he stood up from the chair before grabbing his bag from the floor. “Thank you, for the coffee and… well, everything” Link flushed, trying to grab hold of Jade who was frantically trying to get to Rhett. 

Rhett laughed endearingly, quickly rising to his feet and striding over to the excited pup. “I hope this isn’t the last time I see you!” He chuckled, petting Jade’s face gently as she sat in Link’s arms. Link smiled, watching the interaction unfolding in front of him, _this is how it should be_. 

“I’ll see you soon, thanks again for meeting me so early” Link said, heading for the door. Rhett was quickly following behind, reaching around the smaller man to open the door for him. The familiar heat rose through Link’s face at the gesture, _gracious._

“See you soon, Mr Neal” Rhett grinned, shooting him a quick wink before closing his office door.


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to chapter 5 :) A bit of a longer one today, I had some extra time on my hands for once!

The following Thursday, Link was stood in front of the mirror, analysing his outfit for the hundredth time. He’d gone for a simple wine-coloured sweater and black jeans, with a black jacket layered on top and his clear framed glasses. He wanted to look good for Rhett, it wasn’t a date by any means, just a lawyer and his client meeting in a coffee shop to discuss his divorce - it was possibly the furthest from a date you could get. Still, he wanted to look put together, if he felt confident he’d be more likely to make it through the interaction without wanting to fall apart in front of Rhett, something he had gotten far too close to, far too many times.  He’d managed to get the day off of work, explaining to his boss he had an appointment out of town - which, again, wasn’t exactly a lie but he felt no desire to indulge in his failing marriage story with his boss. 

“You gonna be home for dinner tonight?” Daniel called from the stairs, startling Link from his thoughts. He quickly gathered his bag from the bed and padded out to the landing, closing the bedroom door behind him. 

“Uh- I’m not sure, might have to work late” Link replied nonchalantly as he began walking down the stairs, avoiding eye contact with his husband stood at the bottom. Again, another lie, he wasn’t working late, he wasn’t working at all, but he’d hoped to invite Rhett out for a beer after their meeting, maybe grab some wings and talk - as friends. 

“You’re always working late” Daniel grumbled, heading back into the kitchen.

“Sorry, but I’m one of the only editors who doesn’t have kids or a family to get home to, I’m always chosen to do lates” Link shrugged, following him into the kitchen to prepare his usual work lunch, trying to keep Daniel’s suspicions to a minimum. 

“Well, someone will have to take over your shift once the adoption agency gets back to us” Daniel stated plainly, mindlessly scrolling through his phone. Link’s stomach churned, he’d been trying to repress the fact they were due to hear back about their adoption application any day now - they’d applied almost two years ago after they’d got married - Daniel had great references, he was a highly respected businessman in the community, there was no doubt they’d be accepted, they were just waiting on the 'perfect match'. 

“Right” Link chuckled weakly, turning away to grab some snacks from the cupboard to stuff in his bag so Daniel couldn’t see his greying face.

“You could sound a little more excited, this is a big deal for us” Daniel huffed, taking a step towards Link, his patience already wearing thin. 

“I know, it’s just, I don’t know if we’re ready for all this” Link said quietly, his eyes trained to the door handle. He had to meet Rhett in under an hour and there was _no_ way he was going to be late.

“It was your idea in the first place! I couldn’t give two shits about having kids, you know that. I did it to make you happy!” Daniel hissed through gritted teeth, slamming his hand on the kitchen counter in frustration. Link sucked in a breath, composing himself before turning to face his husband - maybe now was a good time to address the elephant in the room.

“Look, Dan, is this even working anymore? We’ve barely said two words to each other in the past three months” Link sighed, running a hand through his hair, seemingly unfazed by the ruckus Daniel had just caused. He almost wanted Daniel to say no, he didn’t still love him, then they could agree on a divorce settlement and be out of each others lives by the end of the month.

“Don’t be so stupid Lincoln! Don’t try to put this back on me - you’re the one working late, you’re the one destroying our marriage, you should consider yourself lucky I put up with this shit” Daniel snapped, clearly exasperated. It wasn’t exactly the response Link was after. 

“I’m gonna be late” Link said simply, swallowing back the anger threatening to spill from his lips, ripping open the kitchen door and stalking down the hallway. He angrily stuffed his feet into his sneakers before yelling “Don’t wait up - and feed the fucking dog!” as he slammed the door behind him.

-

In just under an hour, Link was sat in a cushioned chair, his leg bouncing anxiously under the small table in front of him. He’d arrived before Rhett, so took it upon himself to find them a table tucked away in the corner, away from nosey ears and judgemental stares. He’d thought about ordering something for Rhett, a large fancy coffee and a sandwich of sorts - but he didn’t know what Rhett liked, besides, if he was anything like Link he’d be almost impossible to buy food for without guidance. 

“Link?” He heard the familiar voice from behind him before Rhett rounded his chair and came into sight - and _god_ did he look good. His large feet were laced into black boots, long legs were painted in tight, black jeans fastened by an ostentatious belt, a simple white tee covered his torso followed by a forest green plaid jacket. His hair was loose today, hanging in random caramel-coloured curls, almost down to his shoulders, evidently dishevelled by the chilly October breeze. Link had only ever seen him in tight-fitting suits and tailored pants, but this was a whole new realm of attraction, knowing he looked _this_ good in his everyday clothes? _Lord_. 

Link quickly rose to his feet, extending his hand as he stumbled over his greeting, barely managing to mumble out a simple ‘hello’.

“Hi” Rhett grinned, taking Link’s hand in his own as he shook it firmly, bringing his other hand up to cup the back of Link’s hand. Link flushed, mentally scolding himself for getting so worked up over a handshake, yet he couldn’t help but note how well their hands slotted together, the contrast of Rhett’s strong, warm hands and Link’s smaller, constantly-cold hands. 

“I haven’t kept you too long have I?” Rhett asked as he finally released Link’s hand to remove the bag slung over his shoulder. 

“No, I only got here a few minutes ago, was thinking about ordering for us but I didn’t know what you’d want” Link confessed, sliding back into his chair, clasping his hands together to try and preserve the warmth of Rhett’s palms. 

“I’m glad you didn’t! It’s on me today” Rhett said, digging into his back pocket to produce a brown leather wallet, casually sliding out a few bills. 

“No, no! I can’t let you do that, you’re the one doing me a favour” Link quickly responded, pushing his chair back to stand again. 

“Link, it’s fine, I insist, you already pay me plenty” Rhett joked, winking as he put his palm out to stop Link from getting up. “What would you like?” He continued, spinning on his heels to squint at the menu board hanging on the other side of the cafe. 

“Uh, just whatever coffee is the cheapest” Link said quietly, bringing his thumb to his teeth to bite at a hangnail. Rhett just shook his head, smiling at the smaller man as he headed off to the counter to order. Link began to internally panic, he hoped he hadn’t come across as ungrateful but he didn’t want to be a burden on Rhett, he’d already wasted too much of his time and now his money? He was unbelievable. He figured he’d just add another ten dollars to the next cheque he sent to the law firm, to cover his coffee and wasted time. 

He was shaken from his thoughts by the sound of Rhett’s laugh carrying across the small cafe, he looked over to see the taller man's head thrown back, laughing heartily at something the barista had said. Link heard Rhett tell the young girl to keep the change and wished her a good day as he scooped the tray up from the counter - Link smiled to himself as the barista thanked him profusely, Rhett had such an infectious, kind aura about him, he managed to make people comfortable and content by merely existing, the thought alone made Link’s chest swell. 

Rhett made his way back to the table, setting down the wooden tray on the table, offering Link a grin. “I hope you’re hungry” he laughed, gesturing to the tray piled high with food. There were large, open-faced sandwiches filled with pulled meat and salad, thick slices of cake, pastries and two large coffee cups dusted with cinnamon in front of them. 

“Gracious, Rhett! Please let me pay for my half” Link pleaded, his eyes wide as he scanned over the food in front of him, it must've been at least thirty dollars.

“Nope, not happening, eat up!” Rhett teased, sliding into the seat opposite Link and immediately reaching for one of the sandwiches. “Oh god-“ Rhett started as he raised the bread to his mouth “You’re not vegetarian are you?” His eyes were wide with realisation behind the sandwich. 

“No!” Link laughed, loosing up slightly, reaching for the other sandwich, internally cringing when he saw the thick slices on tomato resting on top of the lettuce. _Don’t be a burden,_ he reminded himself, gingerly biting through everything piled on the bread. 

Link managed to chew his way through half of the sandwich before he visibly winced at the taste of the tomato in the back of his throat. Realising what he’d done, he quickly cleared his throat to cover up his distaste, but Rhett was already looking at him with a confused look painted across his face. 

“Not good?” Rhett asked curiously, his brow-knitted in concern as he took another bite of his sandwich. 

“No! No, it’s really good” Link insisted, carefully eyeing the next tomato he was about to bite into.

“What part don’t you like?” Rhett asked after he watched Link survey his sandwich intensely, smiling fondly to reinforce the fact he _wasn’t_ annoyed - Rhett had noticed that Link often needed a lot of reassurance and he was more than happy to oblige.

“Uh- I’m not too fond of tomatoes” Link admitted quietly, setting the sandwich back on his plate, his cheeks burning in embarrassment.

“Link! Why didn’t you say?” Rhett laughed, reaching across the table to pick the tomatoes off with a fork and placed them on his own sandwich.

“I didn’t want to seem ungrateful!” Link replied, readjusting his glasses with his thumb and forefinger, secretly appreciating the fact he didn’t have to eat anymore tomato. 

“I’m always happy to receive unwanted food” Rhett grinned, patting his stomach in jest before shoving the sandwich back into his mouth. 

Link smiled to himself, the warm, tugging feeling returning to his chest - _Daniel would’ve told you to stop being so childish and just eat it, how can a grown man not like salad?_ Link shook the thought from his head, taking the few remaining bites of his sandwich before leaning back in his seat, wiping his mouth with a paper napkin. 

“So” Rhett began, still chewing, “Should we actually do some work” 

“I suppose so” Link replied, grabbing his mug and taking a sip of the steaming coffee. “This is incredible!” Link exclaimed, taking another large gulp of the cinammony-sweet liquid. 

“It’s some sort of autumnal, syrupy blend thingy” Rhett said, gesturing his hands vaguely. “I remember you had your coffee really sweet the first time we met so I figured you’d enjoy it” 

“Huh, it’s really good” Link replied, lifting the mug to hide the blush spreading over his cheeks. Rhett smiled back at him, taking a sip of his own drink, sitting in comfortable silence until Link was ready to talk. 

“I’m just not happy anymore, I guess” Link said after a while, sighing as he turned his gaze to his lap. A sudden wave of vulnerability washed over him, he felt himself retreating inside of himself. He felt Rhett’s foot gently nudge his ankle, pressing their legs together underneath the table, as Link looked up, Rhett gently smiled at him, silently reassuring him. 

“I was for a while - happy, I mean - but things just fizzled out so quickly after we got married, he insisted that we move away from everyone I knew, I was so lonely and he got tired of that quickly, I was angry at him for taking me away from my Mama and my friends, so I snapped at him a lot and we’ve just been living in that cycle ever since” 

“That must’ve been hard, leaving your Mama” Rhett said quietly after a while, his leg still pressed firmly against Link’s, keeping him anchored to safety. 

“She’s only an hour away, but I miss her so much, she raised me on her own you know, my Dad left when I was a boy and my Mama did everything for me, I wanted to do right by her - help her now she’s gettin’ older” Link sniffed, furiously wiping his hand across his nose. 

“You’re a good man, Link, I’m sure your Mama knows that too” Rhett reassured him, his eyes softening. 

“Don’t feel like it sometimes” Link admitted, slumping in his seat. His throat was tight from the tears threatening to spill and his heart was aching from Rhett’s kindness and the thought of his Mama - it was overwhelming. 

“You are, trust me” Rhett continued, nudging Link’s leg with his knee, to remind him that he was still here. 

“Then we fought again this mornin’, before I came here, he said it was my fault our marriage was falling apart, that he didn’t even want kids but he did all that to make me happy, made me feel like shit” Link said, burying his face in his hands, elbows resting on the table. 

“Wait- you have kids?” Rhett said, clearing his throat and straightening up slightly, pulling his leg away from Link’s. Link had to stop himself from whining at the loss of contact, he desperately wanted to hook his foot around Rhett’s ankle and pull him back - but his feet stayed firmly in place. 

“No, no, we just applied to adopt - haven’t heard back yet” Link replied almost instantly, head shooting up to meet Rhett’s unreadable expression. Rhett’s shoulders dropped a little, seemingly relaxing after learning that information.

“I see” Rhett said slowly, running his long fingers through his beard. After a few moments of silence, he reached into his bag and pulled out his laptop, clearing a little space to set it up on the edge of the table, his eyes not meeting Link's. “ Uh- help yourself to the cake, we’ve got a lot to get through” He said quickly, turning to the laptop as he tapped away on his keyboard. 

If Link didn’t know any better, he would’ve thought Rhett was relieved to hear Link had nothing tying him to his marriage after they separated. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will feature Rhett, Link, a bar and a lot of drinking - interpret that as you like ;)


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back :) 
> 
> TW for this chapter is alcohol! No violence or anything but they drink a lot so if that's something you are sensitive to, keep that in mind :) 
> 
> Enjoy!

Somehow, five hours later, Link found himself sat opposite Rhett, three whiskeys and two plates of wings down, in a dive bar just down the road of his work office. 

After stuffing himself with cake in the coffee shop and spilling his secrets to Rhett - who tentatively listened, offered Link paper napkins when the tears finally came and methodically took down relevant notes to add to his case-file. - Link found himself mumbling that he needed to go and drown his sorrows in Jack Daniels, and that he couldn’t think of anything worse than going home right now. Without hesitation, Rhett has offered to go with him, off the clock, as his friend and not as his lawyer. 

Link was taken aback, it had been his original plan to _maybe_ ask Rhett if he wanted to join him, perhaps tempting him with the offer of buying him a beer to say thank you for all he had done today, but Rhett had beaten him to it. 

Once the address to a bar tucked away on a street corner not far from Link’s office was exchanged, Rhett told him that he’d meet him there once he’d finished off his notes, dropped his car back at home and caught an Uber, allowing Link enough time to drive to his office and leave his car there, figuring he’d just his own Uber into work the following morning. 

So, fast forward a few hours and Rhett was wobbling his way back to their table, two fresh glasses of whiskey on the rocks in his hand. 

“I’m gonna regret this in the morning” Link giggled, bringing the glass to his lips and sipping the smooth liquid slowly. 

“Mmmh, good job I’m not in court tomorrow, think I'd be fired on the spot” Rhett snorted, mirroring Link by lifting his own glass to his bearded mouth and taking a large gulp, mischief in his eyes. 

“D’ya wear one of those wig things?” Link asked, his words slurring around the edges, biting back a laugh at the thought of Rhett in a white curly wig.

Rhett spluttered, trying to not spit out his drink “No! I’m not a judge, I just sit there and sign the papers off and stuff” He laughed, shaking his head fondly. 

“Oh, you should get one, would suit ya” Link grinned, gesturing wildly at Rhett’s curly hair. 

_“_ What's wrong with my actual hair!” Rhett said in mock annoyance, fighting to keep the grin off of his face as he pouted dramatically. 

“Nothin!” Link replied almost instantly, “It’s lovely hair, suits you” He added, his eyes trained to Rhett’s. 

Rhett flipped it dramatically, letting his curls spill over his shoulders, the two men giggled fiercely, Link clutching his stomach as he doubled over with laughter. That was the thing about Rhett, Link had quickly learned over the course of the past hour, he had the ability to make Link laugh by doing just about anything. Sure, the whiskey coating his stomach and pulsing through his veins loosened him up a bit, but Rhett was naturally witty, always making quick remarks and innuendos. Rhett, of course, found Link just as hilarious - the two of them had spent the past hour snickering and sharing jokes like two kids at the back of the classroom.

“I feel like you’re a whole different person right now” Link said after he finished laughing, his eyes still glistened with delight. 

“Not just a boring old-man with a law degree to you anymore?” Rhett replied, quirking his eyebrow as he swirled his drink in his hand, the ice-cubes clinking against the glass. 

“You were never boring - nor old” Link laughed, rolling his eyes fondly, his eyes glued to the huge hand Rhett had wrapped around his glass.

“Mmmh, I am getting pretty old” Rhett chuckled, leaning back into his seat and gulping down the last of his drink, licking the last droplets of whiskey from his lips. 

“Don’t say that, means I’m getting old too” Link groaned, rubbing his eyes underneath his glasses, his vision slightly blurred from the pressure and the alcohol. 

“Think the grey gives that away, Neal” Rhett winked, picking up a paper napkin from the table and dapping at his moustache and beard, the same mischievous look from earlier returning to his eyes. 

“I know, I know, I need to start dyeing it again” Link huffed, shooting the last of his whiskey a little too harshly, causing him to wince at the burn in the back of his throat.

“No! It looks real nice” Rhett replied in a southern drawl, the alcohol drawing out his accent just that little bit more, the way Rhett dragged his darkened gaze over Link’s complexion made the hairs on his neck stand to attention.

“Daniel always tells me to dye it, says the grey looks awful” Link sulked, suddenly pulled back to the reality of his life. 

“Daniel’s fucking stupid” Rhett said simply, malice lacing his words as he began to tear apart the napkin in his hands, forming a small pile of tissue shreds on the table as he did, his eyes not meeting Links. 

“Don’t think lawyers can say that” Link teased, trying to compose himself after Rhett’s sudden outburst - it was foreign to see Rhett a little worked up and defensive, he was so used to the calm and composed Rhett, but he’d be lying if he didn’t think it was a _little_ bit attractive. 

“I’m not your lawyer right now” Rhett shrugged casually, his voice a little gravelly, probably thanks to the whiskey. 

“What are you then?” Link asked, leaning across the table a little further, his chin resting in his palm. Rhett studied his face carefully, Link couldn’t help but notice Rhett’s tongue darting out to wet his lips under his beard as his eyes travelled down to Link’s mouth. 

“Whatever you want me to be” Rhett answered thickly, causing Link’s groin to stir in his pants. Link wondered if he’d even make it out of the bar alive at this point.

“Flirting with a married man, McLaughlin? Very unprofessional” Link teased, shifting a little closer across the table, ignoring how heavy the wedding band on his finger suddenly felt. Link watched as his comment ignited something in Rhett’s mind, his eyes turning even darker as he stared back at Link with a hooded glare. Rhett got to his feet, eyes never leaving Link’s as he stepped over to the smaller man, bending down to his level so his beard brushed against the shell of Link’s ear. 

“You won’t be for much longer, not if I have anything to do with it” He whispered against Link’s ear, a heavy hand placed firmly on Link’s shoulder as the taller man leant over him. Link felt the hot, whiskey-laced breath on the side of his face, only making the stretch in his pants tighter and more uncomfortable with every word. Rhett lifted his hand from Link’s shoulder, using his index finger to slowly run it across Link’s smooth jaw, staring deep into his cloudy blue eyes with every touch. 

“One more round?” Rhett asked quietly, breaking the silence after a few moments, his finger still lingering by Link’s chin. Link just nodded dumbly, he couldn’t find it in himself to be embarrassed about how he must have looked - he knew his pupils were most definitely blown with lust and he knew his cheeks were most definitely painted scarlet, but he didn’t care, literally _nothing_ else mattered in this moment. 

Link’s eyes stayed glued to Rhett’s tall figure as he sauntered over to the bar. Link wasn’t stupid, he knew Rhett was undeniably attractive, most of the eyes in the place turned to him as he walked across the room - his tall, confident stature was something to be admired. Link felt a pang of jealousy as he saw two men whispering to themselves, nodding towards Rhett, but it was quickly washed away when Rhett turned to look at him as he leant against the bar, waiting to be served. In his drunken mind, he thought about how proud he would be to be on Rhett’s arm, he couldn’t help but think he’d probably agree once sober again too. 

Link chuckled to himself as Rhett practically stumbled back to the table, his clumsy long legs barely managing to carry himself. 

“You look a little worse for wear, bo” Link taunted, reaching out to grab the glass being offered to him. 

“Mmmmph, you got me drunk, bo” Rhett replied, copying the term of endearment as he slid back into his side of the booth. Link tutted back at him, rolling his eyes as he lifted the glass to his lips, wincing at the strong, bitter taste in the glass. 

“The hell is in this” Link spluttered, clearing his throat to try and ease the burn. Rhett just smirked at him, flawlessly downing to gulps of the golden liquid himself, casually brushing a curl from his face. 

“The strongest one they had, go hard or go home” Rhett bantered, his knee nudging against Link’s under the table. _Go home_ Link echoed in his mind, sliding his phone from his back pocket to check it under the table, it was almost midnight by now and he'd had missed two calls and four unopened texts. 

**Dan (5:35pm):** _Sorry about earlier, hope work isn’t too stressful for you. Left dinner on the side for you - chilli mac x_ ****

**Dan (7:56pm):** _Any ideas when you’ll be home? Jade misses you, she’s just had her own dinner x_

**Dan (9:40pm):** _I really am sorry about earlier, I didn’t mean to snap, you know how I get. Please come home so we can talk x_

**Dan (11:35pm):** _I’m going to bed. Don’t wake me up when you get in._

Link’s stomach churned with guilt, the whiskey sloshing in his stomach threatened to make a reappearance as he stared at the screen - _shit._ He’d gotten far too carried away with Rhett, staying out till midnight, flirting and getting drunk with someone who was practically a stranger whilst his husband was at home, trying to make things right. 

“Link? Everything okay?” Rhett asked, his tone a little softer than it had been before, a small frown on his face. The guilt slowly trickled away when Link met Rhett’s gentle gaze, he swallowed thickly, locking his phone and pushing it back into his pocket - that was tomorrow’s problem. Right now, he wanted to be here, with Rhett, no matter how wrong it was - no matter how much his brain was telling him to stop. He’d had enough misery, he’d put up with enough of Daniel’s mind games and mood swigs - he deserved to be happy, just this once, just for this night. 

“Yeah, everything’s fine” Link smiled back, pressing his leg back against Rhett’s a little firmer than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rhett is one unprofessional lawyer smh,, would be a shame if he,,, got caught out,,,,


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! 
> 
> This is an angsty, filler, chapter today!! TW // domestic argument, no violence or anything, just an angsty argument between Link and his shitty husband lmao. If that's something you're sensitive to, I'll add a TLDR to the end notes, so skip to the bottom! 
> 
> Enjoy <3

Link woke up the following morning to an empty bed and a throbbing headache, he winced as he sat up, massaging his temples to try and calm the pounding in his skull. The guilt he had so desperately tried to push down last night was suddenly re-entering his system as he stared at the empty space next to him, he couldn’t remember stumbling into bed last night, but he was almost positive Daniel hadn’t acknowledged him - not that Link could blame him. Giving himself a few moments to try and stop his head spinning, Link reached over to check his phone haphazardly hanging off of the bedside table, expelling a quick sigh of relief when he saw he had just over an hour to get to work. 

When he finally managed to pull himself from the duvet, Link jumped in the shower, scrubbing his skin unnecessarily hard to try and cleanse himself in all senses of the word, praying that the water would carry away the guilt that still plagued his mind. As Link let the water run over him, he desperately tried to recollect everything that had happened the night before, he definitely remembered flirting anything but discretely with Rhett and Rhett had definitely flirted back - hadn’t he? He remembered the scratch of a beard tickling his neck as Rhett whispered in his ear, the feeling of the pad of a large index finger still burnt into the skin under Link's chin. He knew for a fact nothing else had happened, not even fifty shots of whiskey would be able to erase that from his memory, especially not with Rhett.

It was just harmless, tipsy, flirting - with the man who was attempting to free Link from his marriage, maybe Rhett was just being nice, trying to build a _professional_ relationship with Link, that was all it was, surely. Link shut off the shower, grateful to the steaming hot water for making him feel the slightest bit better, if only physically. He quickly dried himself off, pulling on a somewhat professional outfit for the day, he figured he’d have a lot of work to catch up on from yesterday and he didn’t want to give his boss any reason to believe he wasn’t on top form, even if that was far from the truth. 

As he shut the bedroom door behind him, stepping out onto the landing, he pulled his phone from his pocket, his thumb immediately hovering over Rhett’s contact. He had an internal debate with himself, wondering if he should text Rhett to thank him for his company and to ensure he got home safe, he figured there would be no in harm in that. 

**Link:** _Morning, hope you’re not feeling too bad this morning. Let me know what I owe you for the drinks, you bought far too many rounds last night! :p_

After shoving his phone back into his pocket, Link headed for the stairs, following the sounds of pots and pans clanging together and the smell of frying batter, preparing himself for the ear-full he would most definitely be receiving from his husband. As he ducked through the archway to the kitchen, he was met with the sight of Daniel, in plaid pyjama bottoms and one of Link’s old soccer shirts, pouring pancake batter into a frying pan, humming to himself. 

“Morning” Link said apprehensively, leaning against the counter on the opposite side of the room. 

“Morning, babe” Daniel grinned, looking over his shoulder to meet Link’s cautious gaze. 

“What's all this?” Link asked, gesturing towards to pancake Daniel was flipping and the bowls of fresh fruit laid on the table. 

“Breakfast, figured you’d need it this morning” Daniel responded, plating up a small stack of pancakes as he turned off the hob. “You came in stinking of whiskey” He continued simply, a slight edge to his voice. Link cleared his throat awkwardly, pulling his phone out of his pocket, trying to hide his obvious disappointment as the lack of response from Rhett. He placed his phone facedown on the counter, cracking his knuckles as he quickly thought over his response.

“Me and some of the guys went for a drink after work” 

“Oh? Who?”

“Uhh- just Alex and Mike, we had a long day” 

“Right, and where's your car?” Daniel asked, placing the two plates of pancakes on the table.

“Still at the office, I got an Uber home, gonna Uber into work this morning as well” Link said, still fidgeting by the kitchen counter. 

“Don’t be stupid Link, it’s a waste of money, I’ll have to drive you” Daniel quipped, retrieving the syrup from the cupboard, slamming it down onto the table with a little more force than necessary.

“Right, that’d be great, thank you” Link forced a smile, he couldn’t help but feel like he was treading on very thin ice. 

“Why don’t you get Jade from her crate, she can eat with us” Daniel said, his gaze falling heavy on Link’s agitated frame. Link just hummed and nodded in response, heading towards the home office where Jade slept, the guilt creeping back into his veins. 

Jade, of course, was more than happy to see Link, the moment he opened the crate door she was yapping and jumping into his lap, furiously lapping at his face. 

“I know! I know, I’m sorry I didn’t see you much yesterday baby” Link sighed, scooping her into his arms, pressing gentle kisses on top of her head. “Are you hungry?” He asked, scratching her favourite spot behind her ears as he carried her back to the kitchen, earning another excited yap in response. 

As he entered the kitchen again, Daniel was stood at the counter where Link was once, one hand balled tight into a fist, the other clutching Link’s phone up.

“Whose Rhett?” Daniel spat, his eyes glazed with anger. Link cowered slightly, holding Jade a little tighter as his stomach churned. Despite the fear crawling through his body, he couldn’t help but thank his past self for always deleting the messages between himself and Rhett, he figured this situation could go down a lot worse if Daniel found him texting a divorce lawyer. 

“J-just a client from work, we’re reading his manuscript, editing it- you know” Link swallowed thickly, his feet cemented in place. 

“So why was he getting you drunk?” Daniel hissed, throwing Link’s phone back onto the counter, not even flinching as it bounced against the granite. 

“He wasn’t! He just came for drinks with us, to celebrate, we’d finished editing it yesterday” Link insisted, his heart pounding in his ribcage, threatening to break out. 

“So you thought you’d get his number? Send him morning texts? Is that it?” Daniel snorted cruelly, pointing an accusing finger at Link, stepping towards him. 

“No! It’s not like that, it’s not, I was just being friendly, to secure the deal, he might want to publish with us too - that's all!” Link babbled, words spilling out of his mouth before his brain could catch up. 

“I know when you’re lying, Lincoln” Daniel said simply, walking over to the table and picking up Link’s plate, inspecting it in his hands as silence fell across the room. 

“I’m not lying Dan! I’m not” Link cried out, causing Jade to whimper quietly in his arms. He squeezed her a little tighter in silent apology, wishing he could just grab her and run and never look back. 

“Find your own way to work, get home by six, we’ll talk about finding you a new job over dinner” Daniel snapped, carrying the plate over to the trashcan and dumping Link’s breakfast in the garbage, slamming the lid shut and the plate clattering into the sink. 

“What do you mean a new job?” Link whispered, eyes glued to the trash can.

“Something you can do from home, since you can’t be trusted around your own clients, tell them that it’ll be your last day today” Daniel spat back, pulling his chair back, scraping along the floor before sitting in front of his own breakfast. “Get out of my sight” He said, shoving a forkful of pancakes into his mouth, waving his hand in dismissal.

Link quietly shuffled over to the counter, retrieving his now cracked phone as he held back a sob. He hurried out of the kitchen, Jade still tightly wrapped in his arms, he grabbed his jacket and keys from the hook, silently slipping on his loafers and shut the door behind him. Link stood at the end of his driveway, eyes threatening to spill with tears, he looked around in bewilderment - unsure what to do next. 

Jade whined again, lifting her head up to nuzzle into the crook of Link’s neck. “I know, I’m so sorry Jade, I’ll figure it out” Link whispered, his voice wobbling as he pulled out his phone to call an Uber into work. 

As he waited, he let his mind drift back to the previous night, the ache in his cheeks from laughing too hard, the warmth of a large thigh pressed against his own, the gaze from a man who looked at him like he was the only person in the room. He’d brought this on himself, he didn’t deserve to cry, he didn’t deserve to feel sorry for himself, he was greedy - he already had a home, a life with a man who once made him happy, but he wanted more. He _wanted_ his cheeks to ache from laughter in a way they never had before, he _wanted_ to feel warmth in his thighs as he slotted together with someone - as if nature had intended for them to fit together so perfectly. He _wanted_ to be looked at like he hung the stars in the sky. Now that he’d found that, Link knew he would do _anything_ to keep it - so he was going to get it, tonight. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TLDR; Link texts Rhett the next morning, Daniel finds the texts on his phone, Link lies and says Rhett is just a client from work, Daniel confronts Link and tells him he needs to leave his job if he can't be trusted, Link is sad and decides he wants Rhett. 
> 
> oof :( 
> 
> Listen, I know this is a slow story so far, but it's a slow burn and I still have like, another 10 chapters to go - they'll be worth it, I promise ;) 
> 
> Come yell at me on tumblr at https://rhettjmc.tumblr.com/ !!!! 
> 
> See you, potentially tomorrow, for a new chapter :)


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two posts in two days? Who am I? 
> 
> Tags have updated,,, enjoy!

By the end of the day, Link was a jittering mess. After barely making it to work on time, he barrelled past his colleagues with Jade still clutched in his arms, ignoring Alex calling after him, shutting himself in his office. He’d flown through yesterdays, and today's work, not allowing himself time to think about anything - as soon as he started to think about giving up this job, he threw himself into the work even harder, never leaving his desk - not even to stretch. Jade sat on his lap for the entirety of the day, apart from when Link pulled out the small bag of kibble he kept in the office and poured it into a bowl, giving her far too much to compensate for her missed breakfast. After she was done, she happily jumped back into his lap, her tail never ceasing to wag. 

He slammed his computer shut after sending off his final email of the day, shoving everything back into his briefcase and pulling his coat back on. He checked his phone once again, still no reply presented on his cracked screen from Rhett. He’d finished an hour early, hoping that nobody would notice his premature exit, but he needed to see Rhett, and now was the only chance he’d get if he was still going to make it home in time for dinner. He slipped out into the corridor, locking his office behind him, before almost running down the hallway, desperate to avoid anyone, especially his boss. He figured he’d tell Daniel that he didn’t get a chance to talk to his boss, he hoped that he would’ve calmed down by now, that this morning was all just a misunderstanding and that Link could keep his job. 

He’d also began to plan out in his head how he would go about approaching the topic of the divorce, he figured it would be easiest to suggest they had a break from one another and by the end of it, Daniel would be used to not having Link around and they could mutually agree to end things civilly, in an ideal world. He hadn’t planned for any other instances yet. 

-

Link tapped his fingers nervously on his steering wheel, much like he had the first time he pulled up outside of the Myth Law Firm over a month ago, ready to meet a divorce lawyer for the first time. Never, could he have anticipated ending up like this - completely smitten for said lawyer, only a few meetings later. 

He ruffled Jade’s fur quickly, promising her that he’d be back as soon as possible, Jade didn’t seem to mind, it was cool enough in the car and she liked to sleep on the leather seats anyway. Link checked his watch, it read 4pm, which meant Rhett should still be here - he didn’t get off until 6pm most days. Tugging his coat a little tighter across his chest, Link walked over to the door, nodding a polite greeting to a small lady holding the door open for him on her way out - thankful he didn’t have to buzz to be let in, he wanted to keep his visit as anonymous as possible. 

After quietly climbing the stairs, he quickly scanned the reception area, sighing with relief when he spotted the receptionist’s desk empty and the faint sound of her laughter coming from the small kitchenette through a doorway. He snuck down the hallway undetected, his finger trailing the wallpaper like he had the first day he was here, figuring some familiarity would help him. 

He wasn’t sure what he was going to say to Rhett, but he just needed to see him, to feel him.

When he reached the end of the hallway, he noticed Rhett’s door was slightly ajar, meaning he wasn’t currently meeting with a client. Link took a deep breath and slipped through the door, closing it gently behind him with his foot. The noise caused Rhett to spin round on his heels, the mug of coffee he was making still in his hand. 

“Link?” Rhett asked softly, a look of confusion painted on his face. 

“Rhett, I-“ Link started, his throat tight as he suddenly felt tears forming in his eyes. “I just came here to-“ He tried to continue, taking small steps towards the taller man. He looked over the taller man, appreciating the dark grey suit stretched over his long torso, his freshly washed hair and trimmed beard, looking exceptionally good for someone who stumbled home way after midnight. 

“What’s wrong?” Rhett asked, setting his mug down on the tea tray, quickly turning back to Link who was now stood in front of him, trembling. 

“I need-“ Link took a breath, swallowing thickly before looking up to meet Rhett’s eyes - and _god,_ did it make everything worth it. Link didn’t finish his sentence, instead, grabbing Rhett’s face in both palms, pulling him down to meet their lips. Link could’ve cried there and then, the feeling of Rhett’s mouth on his, the bitter taste of coffee and the gentle scratch of his beard against Link’s chin, the press of warm lips chasing his own - it had _never_ felt like this before. Link went to move his hand. with the intended goal of lacing it through Rhett’s curls, but he was quickly stopped by the gentle push of hands against his chest. 

“Link” Rhett sighed, his cheeks tinged red with an unreadable expression on his face. 

“Rhett, I-“ Link quickly spoke, reaching his hands out to touch Rhett again, desperate for the feel on broad shoulders under his fingertips, his heart clenching as the taller man stepped away.

“Link, we can’t” Rhett almost whispered, his eyes flicking to the door behind them. 

“Then let me come over, tonight” Link said before his brain could stop him, he knew he was supposed to be home by six, but god, if he wasn’t going to do _anything_ to get his lips back on Rhett’s skin. 

“No, I mean, we can’t… do this” Rhett smiled sadly, gesturing between the two of them. 

“I know you want this too, you- you were flirting with me all night!” Link almost whined, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. 

“I know, and I’m sorry for that, it was seriously unprofessional of me - we’re not even meant to see clients out of business hours” Rhett sighed, chewing on his bottom lip anxiously. 

“There’s something between us, I know there is” Link carried on, determined to not let Rhett get away without admitting it too, he _couldn’t_ be wrong about this. 

“Maybe there could have been, if things were different - If I’d met you back in college, or in another life, where you’re just Link and I’m just Rhett and we met in a shitty bar, I have no doubt we could’a been something” Rhett said quietly, still worrying his lip between his teeth. 

“I am just Link” Link said softly. 

“No, you’re married, bo” Rhett reminded him, rubbing his large hands over his face in exhaustion.

“I won’t be for much longer!” Link shot back, his tone a mixture of frustration and desperation.

“You don’t know that, I’ve seen a lot of people back out before, nothing is certain until the papers are signed”

“So, give me the papers now and I’ll sign them” Link said desperately, his eyes darting to Rhett’s desk. 

“That’s not how it works” Rhett chuckled softly, shaking his head slightly. 

“I’d do it now, if I could, for you” Link said, his voice wobbling on the last syllable.

“I don’t want you to do it for me, Link, I want you to do it for you” Rhett replied earnestly, reaching out to squeeze Link’s arm gently. Link could tell that he meant it wholeheardtly, Rhett only wanted what was best for others, he’d shown that countless times. He was desperate to be cared for and Rhett did so, undoubtedly.

“Rhett-” Link sobbed, tears that had been building up since breakfast finally spilling from his eyes. Rhett quickly pulled him in, wrapping long arms around his quivering torso, one large palm coming up to cup the back of his head soothingly. 

“I know” Rhett whispered into the top of his head, his fingers slowly stroking the grey strands of hair he loved so much. “You’re going to be okay, Link” 

“I’m sorry Rhett, I’m sorry, I- I really thought you- you wanted me too, I’m sorry for kissing you, I-” Link sobbed into Rhett’s chest, his own chest heaving as he cried. 

“Hey, hey” Rhett whispered, pulling Link back to look at him, his large hands cupping Link’s cheeks. “This is not a one-sided thing, not at all” He said, swiping a thumb under Link’s glasses to collect the hot tears dripping down his face. “I do want you, darlin’, more than you could imagine, god I haven’t stopped thinkin’ about you since you walked in here that day - but I don’t want to complicate things for you, or for me, I could lose my job” He admitted, cringing slightly at the thought. 

Link sniffed heavily, his cheeks painted with embarrassment at the outburst he’d just thrown at Rhett, looking up at him through his eyes blurred with tears. “When this is all over, will you still be here?” _Waiting for me?_ He wanted to add, his voice thick with tears as he reached up to cover Rhett’s hands with his own, holding them tightly. 

“I’ll always be here, Link, but for now, just as your lawyer - and your friend outside of these four walls” Rhett replied honestly, allowing the pad of his thumb to brush over Link’s cheekbone one more time. Link understood, he couldn’t expect Rhett to get tangled up in Link’s mess, especially not at the expense of his career - as much as he wanted Rhett _now,_ it wasn’t fair to either of them. 

Link let out a shaky breath, before leaning closer to Rhett, his chin tipping up so their mouths were almost touching. “Please, just one more time, in case I never get to again, please, Rhett” Link whispered against Rhett’s lips, almost begging him.

Rhett searched his eyes for a few seconds, his eyes softening into Link’s hooded gaze with every moment that passed. The larger man carefully closed the gap between their mouths, his hands still glued to Link’s cheeks, holding him in place softly. Link moved his hands too, one wrapping around Rhett’s waist, the other palm splayed open on the side of Rhett’s neck, feeling his pulse thrumming under his fingertips. Link gently ran his tongue across the seam of Rhett’s mouth, silently imploring to be let inside - Rhett yielded, allowing Link to take what he needed, tentatively threading his large fingers through Link’s hair. Rhett slowly backed him towards the wall, never letting his lips leave Link’s, guiding him carefully until Link was pressed up against the wall. 

Link moaned softly into Rhett’s mouth, his cock stirring in his dress pants as he grabbed Rhett’s hips and pulled him closer, deliberately pressing his hardening crotch against Rhett’s. 

“Oh god, Link - fuck” Rhett’s voice rumbled, his fingers tugging at the silver strands laced in his hands, opening Link’s mouth wider as he gasped. Rhett licked deeper into Link’s mouth, one hand sliding around his throat gently, running a finger across his pulse point. Link rutted up against Rhett again, feeling Rhett’s hard cock pressing back against his for the second time - he could get drunk off of the feeling, he could most certainly get addicted to it. 

Link pulled away from Rhett’s mouth with an obscene noise, quickly moving his lips to Rhett’s neck, licking and pressing wet kisses across his throat as his fingers pressed harshly into Rhett’s waist, silently begging to never let go again. He mouthed at Rhett’s pulse, sucking gently at the salty skin that hammered violently under his tongue as Rhett writhed beneath him, desperately tugging at Link’s hair. 

“Fuck, baby, you feel so good darlin’, please, don’t stop” Rhett moaned in a whisper, his back arching under the pleasure, unintentionally bucking up against Link’s crotch again. Link whimpered, curling his fingers around the navy tie around Rhett’s neck, tugging it fiercely to bring their mouths together again. Link instantly slipped his tongue back into Rhett’s mouth, as if he’d done it a hundred times before, like this was natural to them, mapping out every inch of his tongue with his own. 

Link felt every unspoken word, every silent promise that fell from Rhett’s lips as their mouths slowly worked in unison, he now knew for certain that he wouldn’t be able to carry on never feeling like this again, that _this_ was what he needed. And, _gracious, nothing had ever felt so good in his life_ \- the touch of Rhett’s calloused fingers against his throat, how his fingers twisted tightly in Link’s hair and the hot whispers against his skin writing the promises neither of them should be making. 

He ground his hips against Rhett again, his cock painfully hard and begging for purchase against Rhett’s. Rhett only moaned louder into Link’s mouth, pressing him fiercely into the wall by his waist, allowing one hand to slide down and palm at Link’s cock through his pants. Link cried out wantonly, pulling away from Rhett’s mouth in bliss, only to have Rhett’s hand slam over his mouth to keep him quiet. Rhett continued to grope at Link’s cock through the fabric, bringing his mouth to Link’s neck and nipping at it precariously, causing Link to wriggle and writhe against the weight of Rhett’s body. Link slid his palms up Rhett’s torso, feeling his taught chest through the expensive fabric of the dress shirt, rolling a thumb over Rhett’s left nipple playfully, smirking under the palm clasped tightly over his mouth at the noise Rhett produced. Rhett continued to work at Link’s cock, revelling in the animated responses drawn from Link’s body, occasionally leaning to whisper dirty praises into the crook of Link’s neck.

“Rhett, you need to stop, I’m gonna cum in my pants if you don’t fucking stop” Link whined, shaking his head free from the palm clamped over his mouth, breathy moans escaping from his lips as he tried to straighten up against the wall. Rhett pulled his hand away from Link’s cock reluctantly, a sly grin plastered on his face as he kissed his way up Link’s neck, ending at his lips. 

“You have a filthy mouth, Neal” Rhett smirked, pressing a soft kiss against his lips before resting his forehead against Link’s, breathing heavily. Link just giggled dumbly in response, shaking his head slightly, causing their noses to rub together. Rhett’s smile softened, replacing his dirty look of mischief with one of gentle adoration - Link smiled back, leaning in to press their lips together once more. Rhett pulled away before he made contact, quirking his eyebrow as if to say _I thought we agreed on only one more._

“Last one, I promise” Link grinned sheepishly, catching on to what Rhett was implying, surging forward to press their mouths together for the _last_ time. Rhett just hummed in a contented response, rubbing one hand up and down Link’s arm soothingly, kissing him back soft and slow. 

A sudden knock on the door and the turning of the doorknob sent Rhett stumbling away from the embrace, his eyes wide with panic as the door swung open. 

“Rhett?” A familiar voice called, stepping into the room. 

“Stevie! Hi, how can I help you” Rhett quickly responded, clearing his throat as he stepped past Link. 

“Oh! Mr… Neal?” The lady that Link now recognised as the receptionist began slowly, her gaze travelling up to Link’s dishevelled hair, swollen lips and flushed cheeks. Link just nodded weakly in response, his hands shoved into his pockets once again, subtly trying to adjust his trousers to hide his tented crotch. 

“Everything okay?” Rhett asked, running a shaking hand through his own hair, straightening out his posture, and tie, to appear put together. 

“Yeah.. uh… Mrs Fleming is here, ready to see you” Stevie said awkwardly, her eyes fixing on the wall behind both men to avoid their gaze. 

“Oh! Right, perfect, send her down” Rhett said quickly, plastering a fake grin onto his face as he headed back over to his desk, if Link wasn’t so petrified he would’ve braved a laugh at the way Rhett’s legs trembled as he crossed the office. 

“Will do, Sir” Stevie nodded, quickly ushering herself out of the door and shutting it firmly behind her. 

“I-“ Link began, panic rising in his chest at the thought of them being caught out - what that could mean for Rhett, his job, Link’s divorce - _God, he was going to be late for dinner, with his husband, who he had actually just cheated on, with the man who was secretly helping him to divorce said husband_. 

“Link” Rhett cut him off, holding his hand up gently “It’s okay, seriously, I’ll text you later” He replied softly, offering Link a reassuring smile as he settled back into his desk chair, opening his laptop. Link felt the anxiety bubbling in his chest dissipate slowly, Rhett was here, Rhett wanted him - that was all that mattered, everything else they could figure out together.

“Are you sure?” Link asked, pushing his skewed glasses up his nose and straightening them back into position. 

“Positive, now get out of here before you get me into serious trouble” He grinned, the apples of his cheeks blooming a soft pink as he shook his head in jest. Link shot a small, crooked smile back, giving the taller man a little wave, heading over to his office door - a hell of a lot happier than when he had opened it earlier. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops... sorry (i'm not) 
> 
> come yell at me on tumblr @rhettjmc ! 
> 
> (and I apologise for the next few chapters in advance,,)


	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to the third post of the week (wtf!) - this is a short chapter from Rhett's POV for a change :) 
> 
> I'll be back on Thursday or Friday with another new chapter! (more info at the end, hehe)

Rhett cracked open the beer he’d just pulled from his fridge, flopping down on his couch as he waited for his dinner to cook. He took a small sip from the bottle, allowing the cool, crisp liquid to flow down his throat to take the edge of the day off. He set his bottle down on a coaster, bringing the fingertips of his free hand to his lips, tracing the pads of his fingers over the crevices Link had slotted himself into just hours earlier. He allowed himself to smile at the memory for a while, recalling in fondness how Link gripped his waist and trailed soft kisses on his neck, a feeling he hadn’t experienced for the longest time. He leant forward, elbows on his knees, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hands - although he and Link felt so _right_ , he also knew how incredibly _wrong_ it was. 

Rhett had always prided himself in keeping his feelings detached from the reality of his work, he’d comforted hundreds, maybe even thousands of people going through one of the toughest decisions of their lives. One of the main reasons Rhett even chose this career path was because he knew how to remain calm and professional in trying times, he knew how to switch off at the end of the day and not bring his work home with him. 

Yet somehow, Link had completely knocked down his walls from the moment he stood in reception, fidgeting his hands and constantly readjusting his glasses. Everything about him intrigued Rhett - his unbridled joy after he sunk a shot of whisky and sung loudly to Lionel Ritchie in a shitty dive bar, the crimson blush that painted his cheeks whenever Rhett looked at him a certain way, how he pulled the sleeves of his sweaters over his fingertips to make himself feel safe - the clumsy, conscious, careful man, with nothing but unfiltered love to give, had crashed through every barrier Rhett had erected and nestled himself into Rhett’s world and under his skin. He already knew he would do anything for Link, he loved him dearly, as a friend for now, but he also already knew that he could quietly easily _fall_ in love with him too. 

He still felt sick to his stomach that they’d made out, in his office, and been walked in on by Stevie. He tried earnestly to play it off to Link, that it was no big deal, he knew Link had an uncontrollable urge to worry about anything and everything, he didn’t want to make that any worse. 

_“Stevie…” Rhett started as he apprehensively approached her desk, his head hung lower than usual. He’d managed to avoid her all day, but now that his final client had left he knew he couldn’t avoid her for much longer._

_“Rhett, I don’t need to even tell you how much of a stupid idea this is” Stevie sighed, pushing her chair away from her desk to face him, a disappointed look on her face._

_“I know, I’m so sorry you walked in, please just don’t tell the boss, Feldman would have me fired, I can’t lose this job” Rhett begged quietly, hands running through his hair._

_“I’m not gonna tell, but that's besides the point, you shouldn’t be doing this! He’s a married man” Stevie almost hissed._

_“Not for much longer…?” Rhett attempted, holding his hands up in defeat when he received a harsh swat to the arm from Stevie._

_“But he is now! What if he doesn’t go through with it, has he even told his partner yet?!”_

_Rhett stayed silent, wringing his hands together frantically - he knew it was fucked up, he knew everything was on the line, but, god, if he wasn’t going to do anything for this man._

_“I’m sorry Rhett, I didn’t mean to be cruel, I just worry about you, I couldn’t bear to see you all caught up in this” Stevie sighed empathetically, her mouth twisted in a sad smile._

_“I know, I’m sorry, thank you” Rhett replied, attempting a small smile back, pushing away from where he was leaning on her desk and traipsing back down the hall to his office._

Rhett shook himself from the memory as the timer on his oven chimed, he sulked into the kitchen and removed the pasta bake from the oven. He’d cooked far too much for one person, he always did. Usually, it didn’t bother him to see the leftovers fit for another person's dinner - but today, the sight made his gut twist. 

He sunk back into the couch, a bowl of steaming pasta in his lap, he flicked through the television, trying to find something to drown out the awful taunting in his mind. He settled on Cake Boss, something he could mindlessly watch without paying too much attention to it. He knew his mind would be elsewhere for the most part anyway. As he lifted the first bite of his meal to his lips, he wondered if it was too soon to text Link. He had promised him that he’d talk to him later, but texting whilst Link was around Daniel seemed risky. The decision was quickly taken out of his hands when his phone buzzed on the table.

**Link:** _Should I be worried that you haven’t texted me yet? Or am I just clingy._

Rhett smiled to himself, chuckling softly. He should’ve guess that Link would be worrying, it was one of the things he did best.

**Rhett:** _No need to worry, had to work late, only just sat down to eat my dinner :p_

He shovelled another forkful of pasta into his mouth, chewing quickly as he watched the three dots appear. 

**Link:** _Sorry :( should I leave you to eat?_

**Rhett:** _No need to be sorry, no need to leave me alone :)_

**Link:** _Now whose the clingy one._

Rhett laughed to himself again, shaking his head slightly - this man was going to be the death of him. 

**Rhett:** *eyeroll emoji* 

**Link:** _Sorry, did I get you in trouble btw?_

**Rhett:** _A little, only with Stevie though, she promised not to tell the boss, this time._

**Rhett:** _And it wasn’t just you, I was very much involved._

**Link:** _I know, I could tell ;)_

** Link:  ** _This time? Implying there will be another time?_

Rhett flushed, desperately trying to ignore the twitch in his groin. Now was _not_ the time. He quickly scooped the last of his meal into his mouth, washing it down with a long glug of beer, wiping his mouth haphazardly with the back of his hand.

**Rhett:** _Shut it, Neal._

**Link:** _Sorry, I’ll behave._

**Rhett:** _Somehow I don’t believe you._

**Link:** _Ha. Ha._

**Link:** _What’re you up to?_

**Rhett:** _Just finished dinner, watching cake boss lol. You?_

**Link:** _Big shot lawyer watches cake boss? Cute._

**Link:** _Just finished dinner too, managed to avoid being yelled at for once. He’s backed down on the whole ‘quitting my job’ thing._

Rhett stopped in his tracks, trying to wrack his brain for any memory of Link telling him about this.

**Rhett:** _???? What ????_

**Link:** _Ah, I didn’t tell you?_

**Rhett:** _What happened??_

**Link:** _He found my text to you this morning, I lied and said you were my client and I was editing your manuscript and we went out to celebrate. He yelled at me and threw my breakfast away (pancakes!!:() and told me I had to quit my job if I couldn’t be trusted._

Rhett felt his blood run cold, _fucking asshole._ He gripped onto the arm of the couch, almost to ground himself from running over there and tearing into him. Actually, he wanted to run over there and hold Link, keep him safe.

**Rhett:** _Jesus, Link._

**Rhett:** _Are you okay?_

**Rhett:** _Are you safe??_

**Rhett:** _Should I even be texting you??_

**Link:** _I’m fine._

**Link:** _He’s upstairs packing, his Father is in the hospital so he’s going to visit for a couple days._

**Rhett:** _You’re not going?_

**Link:** _Nah, he doesn’t like me haha._

**Rhett:** _I see._

**Link:** _You’ll have me to yourself for a few days;)_

**Rhett:** _Link!!!!! Just friends, remember._

**Link:** _Yeah, yeah, I know. Spoilsport._

**Rhett:** _You’re insatiable._

**Link:** _I know :p_

**Link:** _I’m gonna be real lonely though…. :(_

**Rhett:** _Are you fishing for an invite over or something?_

**Link:** _Maybe._

**Link:** _Is it working?_

**Rhett:** _You can come over tomorrow night if you want to._

**Rhett:** _To hang out._

**Rhett:** _As FRIENDS._

**Rhett:** _Nothing more, I’m serious._

**Link:** _Loud and clear, boss :)_

**Link:** _I gtg, I’ll see you tomorrow._

**Rhett:** _Tomorrow. Sleep well :)_

**Link:** _x_

Rhett sighed, rubbing his eyes for the hundredth time as he flicked off the TV, inviting Link over was definitely a mistake, he knew it would take everything in him to keep his hands off of Link - but it was a mistake he was willing to make. He tried to shake away the thought of Link settling down to sleep next to another man, did they even still sleep together? Link had mentioned how they'd barely spoken for months - maybe Link slept in the guest room? 

Whatever. It didn't matter. As long as Link was safe for now, that was enough for Rhett.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Rhett.
> 
> Next chapter is potentially the longest yet, with Link heading over to Rhett's place (ooooo) - it's an interesting one ;) 
> 
> Thanks for all the comments and kudos as always, they keep me motivated <3 
> 
> Once again, yell at me on tumblr @rhettjmc !


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this big old chapter! I had it ready, so I figured, why not post it a day early!!
> 
> \----
> 
> This chapter contains Link not being entirely truthful about a situation in order to get Rhett to kiss him - I'm not sure where that lands with dubcon, but maybe just be wary of it if that sort of thing affects you :)

Link was almost bounding with excitement by the time he arrived home to an empty house and the promise of spending the evening with Rhett. He practically ran upstairs to the shower, quickly washing off the day and tugging on a new outfit - nothing fancy, but he wanted to look good for Rhett. 

As he finished styling his hair, Jade whined outside the bedroom door, scratching against the wood to be let in. Link opened the door, allowing Jade to circle his feet before sitting herself down on them - something she did when she’d been left by Link for too long. Link sighed, instantly feeling guilty as he scooped her up from the floor, snuggling her close and pressing a kiss to her head. He contemplated calling off his night with Rhett, knowing that ultimately, Jade came first, but he thought he’d try _one_ more thing first, pulling out his phone. 

**Link:** _Can I ask a huge favour?_

His reply was almost instant.

**Rhett:** _Sure, anything._

**Link:** _Can I bring Jade? I feel awful leaving her alone for so long._

**Rhett:** _YES!!! I’d love to see her again :)_

Link let out a sigh of relief, cuddling Jade a little closer as he typed out a response.

**Link:** _Thank you._

**Link:** _Leaving in 5 btw, just need to brush my teeth._

**Rhett:** _What for? We’re eating as soon as you get here, weirdo :p_

**Link:** _Dunno, in case I get lucky? ;)_

**Rhett** : _Link…_

**Link:** _Joking! Joking._

**Rhett:** _I’m not even entertaining the idea until you’ve AT LEAST told him you want to get a divorce. How many times have I got to tell you, Neal._

Link rolled his eyes, knowing Rhett was only messing with him, but still feeling a little guilty nonetheless. 

**Link:** _Fine. I’m now leaving, see you soon :p_

-

Once downstairs, Link quickly gathered the snacks and beers he had purchased on his way home from work to take with him to Rhett's. Double checking that he had everything, patting down his pockets to triple check, he finally made it to the front door, Jade happily bounding behind him. As he bent down to put on his first sneaker, his phone began to ring in his pocket.

“Hello?” Link answered breathlessly into the phone as he pulled on his shoes, not checking who it was before he answered. 

“Link?” Daniels's voice replied. “Why are you out of breath?” 

“Uh, I just got back from taking Jade out” He lied through his teeth, awkwardly trying to tie his laces with one hand. 

“I see” 

“Everything okay?” Link asked, not particularly interested but figured he should ask nonetheless. 

“Not really, Mom is struggling on her own” Daniel replied, his voice neutral. 

“Oh, that’s a shame then, I’m sure she’s glad to have you there” Link said, looking out of the window at his car, tapping his foot impatiently. 

“Yup. Anyway, I called to let you know we’re going to be moving out here, I’ve been looking at houses today” Daniel said casually, his tone symbolising that this wasn’t up for debate. 

“What?” Link froze, his car keys falling to the floor. 

“Yeah, Mom needs me around, it makes sense for us to move out here, we can find you a new job out here” 

“I already told you I don’t want a new job!” Link snapped back, rubbing desperate circles on his temples. 

“Link, don’t be selfish, this is my parents, they need help” Daniel sighed.

“I’m not being selfish! You can’t just expect me to uproot my life and move back to where _you_ wanted to leave in the first place!” 

“Do you want to drive down and look at the houses? Or shall I just make an offer on my favourite?” Daniel replied calmly, ignoring Link’s protests. 

“Don’t you dare Daniel! You’ve been nothing but awful to me for the past year, you won’t speak to me, you snap at me, you hurt me, now you expect me to blindly follow you, _again_?!” Link shrieked, whispering hushed apologies to Jade as she cowered away from his voice. 

“I’m trying to make our marriage work, we can’t live in separate houses to do that and _you_ can’t make me chose between you and my family” Daniel hissed through gritted teeth, the telltale sign his patience was wearing thin. Link didn’t want to hear it, not tonight. 

“I’ve got to go” Link said fiercely, slamming his thumb against the red end call button. His chest rose and fell heavily, anger coursing through his veins. As soon as Daniel was back next week, he was telling him it was over, that they were done - he wasn’t waiting around any longer. 

-

Link pulled into Rhett’s driveway, parking his car parallel to the sleek, black car he recognised from the law firm's parking lot. He let out the breath he hadn’t realised he was holding until now, looking over at Jade who put her two front paws on the dash, trying to decipher where they were. He fidgeted in his seat for a while, spinning the wedding band on his finger, like he did whenever he was anxious. He pulled it completely off his finger, analysing it between his thumb and index finger, Daniel’s insistence that they up and move echoing in his head as he swiftly opened the glovebox and shoved the golden band in the back behind the car manual. He quickly gathered his bag in one arm, tucking Jade under the other as he clambered out of the car, taking one last look at the glove compartment before slamming the door shut. He let Jade down, knowing she would follow him closely to the door, before arriving at the cherry oak door, ringing the bell before he could change his mind. 

Rhett swung open the door, his hair pulled back into a loose bun, a kitchen towel slung over one shoulder of an olive coloured sweatshirt, now stained with gravy. He instantly bent down to gather Jade in his arms as she jumped at his legs, barking happily as she was reunited with the friend she had made a few weeks ago. Rhett cooed at her, holding her up above his head with two large palms and bringing her down so she could kiss his face all over. Link just watched them, the anger and tears that had been building during the ride over here soon forgotten as he watched the gentle giant hold the small dog in his arms, grinning at the attention he was receiving from her. 

Rhett looked up at Link who had yet to speak, he set Jade down on the floor, sending her scampering off into his house - sniffing out the new environment. 

“Everything okay?” Rhett asked cautiously, trying to study Link’s expression as he shut the front door behind them. Link said nothing in response, he stared back at the taller man - he wasn’t leaving this behind, not without knowing what could’ve been, he wasn’t moving away from the one thing that made him feel _alive._

Link surged forward, dropping the bag of snacks to the floor, grabbing Rhett’s face between his sweaty palms and crushing their mouths together. Rhett let out an almost-squeak in response, too shocked to respond for a few painful moments, before he melted into the touch, grabbing Link’s slim waist in his hands. Link knew he was on borrowed time, Rhett would soon pull away, frown at Link and ask him what he was doing, so for now, Link relished in the feel of Rhett’s soft beard pressed again his mouth. 

As suspected, Rhett pushed him away gently just a few seconds later, his fingers wrapped around each of Link’s biceps so not to startle him. 

“Link... Come on” Rhett said softly, sighing through his nose. 

_“_ Rhett, I-“ 

“No, Link, I told you, I’m not doing this whilst you’re-“ Rhett stated, slightly exasperated. Link couldn’t bear it, he couldn’t bear wearing Rhett’s patience thin - he couldn’t bear to lose Rhett before they'd even begun.

“I told him I want a divorce” Link said quickly, cutting him off with the lie that tumbled past his lips before he could stop himself. Rhett’s mouth snapped shut, he stood frozen for a second, looking at Link with an unreadable expression. Link instantly felt awful, he swallowed down the anxiety that bubbled at the back of his throat - he’d just lied to Rhett, to his face, out of his own selfish greed. 

“Link” Rhett whispered, his features softening as he reached out to the smaller man, gathering him in his arms and tucking him close to his chest. “I’m so proud of you, darlin’, so proud of you” He whispered into Link’s hair, squeezing him even tighter to his chest. Link swallowed thickly, he felt so goddamn guilty, he’d jumped the gun and confessed something that wasn’t even true. Sure, he was going to tell Daniel everything, but that wouldn’t be for another week at least. He couldn’t take it back now, so he’d just have to pray that Rhett would never find out that he lied to him so easily. 

Rhett pulled away and held Link at arm's length, smiling at him like Link hung the stars in the sky ( _because, to Rhett, he did_ ). He leaned in a pressed a gentle kiss to Link’s forehead, carding his fingers through the floppy silvered hair carefully. 

“We can talk more later, but for now, you hungry?” Rhett asked him, grinning so hard his eyes almost squinted shut. Link nodded in response, forcing a smile onto his lips as he went to collect his bag from the floor. 

“I got it” Rhett said, scooting past him to pick the bag up and slinging it over his shoulder. “Go see what Jade is up to and make yourself at home” Rhett called over his shoulder as he headed back into the kitchen, giving Link one last smile as he disappeared. 

Link padded into Rhett’s living room, noting the bookshelves strewn with classic, leather-bound books and other nicknacks. He spotted Jade, curled up on a suede armchair perched in the corner next to a large aquarium full of brightly coloured fish. He smiled to himself, watching his pup sleep soundly on the maroon coloured chair, she didn’t settle easily without Link around, but evidently, she felt safe here. Link quickly took one last look around, spying a pile of magazines on the coffee table - he thumbed through them quickly, smiling to himself at the random assortment Rhett had collected - _National Geographic, Rolling Stones, Campfire Magazine, Gardners World…_ Link smiled to himself, realising he still had so much to learn about the man who had welcomed him into his home with open arms. 

Link followed the noise of gentle singing coming from the kitchen, peeping around the doorframe to see Rhett, stirring something in a pan as he hummed along to a tune on the radio. 

“Can I help with anything?” Link asked, stepping fully into the kitchen to look over Rhett’s shoulder to see what he was cooking. It looked very much like home-made gravy, so naturally, Link stuck his finger in to taste - instantly regretting it as the bubbling liquid burnt his skin. 

“Ow!” Link cried, instantly pulling his finger back and shoving it in his mouth clumsily. 

“Serves you right for sticking your fingers in my food!” Rhett laughed, swatting Link playfully with the kitchen towel that once sat over his shoulder. Link just pouted around his finger in response, producing his best puppy dog eyes as Rhett stared at him in fake annoyance. “What am I going to do with you?” Rhett asked softly, shaking his head fondly as he guided Link over to the kitchen sink and turned on the cold tap. 

“Keep your finger under here until I’ve plated up dinner, it’ll stop it from stinging so bad” Rhett told him, his hand still cradling Link’s under the cool stream of water. 

“I will” Link groaned, sticking his tongue out at the taller man as he tutted at him, turning back to tend to the food on the hob. 

“Did it taste good at least?” Rhett asked teasingly, taking the pot off of the heat and pouring the gravy into a large serving jug. 

“I dunno, think I burnt my tastebuds too” Link shot back playfully, his hand still in the sink. 

“More food for me then” Rhett shrugged, pulling two large steaks from under the grill, smiling triumphantly as he realised they were cooked perfectly. 

“Jesus, Rhett!” Link exclaimed, his eyes wide as he sized up the huge cuts of meat that Rhett was separating onto two plates, placing small cuts into another bowl on the side - Link assumed Rhett would be having the leftovers tomorrow. 

“Impressive, huh?” Rhett grinned cockily, placing the pan down and heading back over to the hob, pulling the pots of mashed potatoes and green beans towards the plates, piling both with copious servings. 

“Very” Link nodded, turning off the tap as Rhett carried the two plates over to the dinner table carefully. 

“All better?” Rhett asked, nodding towards Link’s swollen finger. 

“Still hurts” Link frowned, inspecting the blister that had slowly formed over the last few minutes. 

“This’ll help” Rhett said, taking a few steps over to Link, lifting his injured hand carefully and pressing a gentle kiss to the pads of his fingers. Link hummed contently, his eyes never leaving Rhett’s as he pulled his lips away, curling them into a shy smile. 

“All better” Link nodded, wrapping his fingers around Rhett’s hand, dragging him over to the table. 

-

Almost an hour later, Link was lazing on Rhett’s couch, his jeans almost busting at the seams from the amount of food he had stuffed down at the table. The meal was incredible, Rhett had spoken animatedly about the various techniques and tricks he used whilst cooking, all passed down from his Grandma, he also told Link his plans to install a real smoker in his yard - so he could cook, what he described as, ‘proper’ meat. It was all the same to Link, the steak Rhett had shoved under the grill for a few minutes was delicious to him, but it was endearing to watch Rhett gesture wildly as he discussed what meals he’d already planned to cook on his new appliance. 

Much to Link’s, and Jade’s, delight - the spare bowl of scraps had been for Jade. Rhett had set down an old kitchen towel and placed the bowl of steak cuts and a drizzle of gravy on top, calling for Jade to come and eat. Link could’ve cried, the way Rhett crouched down and spoke to her fondly, telling her to eat up and telling her she was _such_ a good girl as she chewed her first bite of steak - it was almost too much for his heart to handle. 

Rhett came into the room, wiping his palms on the front of his jeans as he flopped down on the couch beside Link, groaning as he rubbed his hands over his stomach. 

“I’ve eaten too much” Rhett whined, throwing his head back onto a cushion dramatically. 

“Guess you won’t want any of the snacks I bought” Link teased, jabbing him playfully in the ribs with his foot. 

“Hey now, I never said that” Rhett grinned, shooting his head up to look at Link as he tugged on his ankle. 

“Where do you even keep it all” Link laughed, pulling his ankle free from Rhett’s grasp.

“I’m a big man, what can I say” Rhett winked exaggeratively, folding his arms behind his head and leaning back on them. Link just rolled his eyes and shook his head dumbly, his eyes flicking to the small piece of exposed skin on Rhett’s stomach. 

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, Jade nestled between them, her head propped up on one of Rhett’s long legs. His gentle fingers stroking her floppy ears, watching her with careful adoration. Link, on the other hand, watched Rhett with the same adoration, sneaking glances whenever Rhett was distracted. 

“You gonna tell me about it?” Rhett asked quietly, lulling his head to the side. 

Link froze, panic rising in his chest for the millionth time today. Would it be easier to just tell the truth? Had he already made his bed? Should he just lay in it? He figured telling Rhett that he’d lie would only result in him being kicked out into the night, so he figured expanding on the lie a _little_ couldn’t do any more harm at this point. 

“He called me as I was about to leave, told me that we had to move back ‘home’ to look after his Mom and Dad” Link said honestly, carefully calculating the words in his mind. “I said I couldn’t just leave, he tried to push the idea about me getting a new job, I just lost it” 

Rhett frowned sympathetically, cautiously shuffling across the couch to sit closer to Link, reaching out to rest a reassuring hand on his knee. 

“I said I was tired, he’d been a shit husband for the past year and he couldn’t just expect me to move with him _again -_ he insisted and said he was putting an offer in on a house down there” Link grimaced, his gaze focusing on the long fingers wrapped delicately around his knee. 

“So you just told him no? That it was over?” Rhett asked, tracing soothing circles over the scratchy denim of Link’s jeans. Link swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry and throat tight, like his body was rejecting the idea of lying so dreadfully to Rhett. 

“Yeah” Link rasped, almost choking over the word. “Told him it was over” He repeated the words back to Rhett. 

“How do you feel about it? How did he take it?” 

“Um, we fought about it for a little bit, but I said I’d made up my mind, that I was gonna… Divorce him” Link said quietly, squeezing his eyes shut to stop himself look through Rhett as he lied to his face. It was exactly what Link was planning to tell Daniel next week, it wasn’t a total lie - but he’d told Rhett prematurely for his own gluttony, out of pure desperation to taste him again. 

“Oh, Link, I’m so proud of you, I really meant it earlier” Rhett whispered, moving his palm from Link’s knee to reach up and cup the side of his face, his thumb dragging carefully over his cheekbone. Link blinked back the tears furiously, he didn’t deserve Rhett’s kindness, his unquestioned trust or benevolence - but Link, Link managed to wreck everything he touched, it was only a matter of time until Rhett crumbled from beneath him too. 

“Thank you” Link mumbled quietly, focusing on the feather-light touch on his cheek. He couldn’t look at Rhett, knowing it would be ripped from him as soon as he found out the truth. 

Rhett slid his hand under Link’s chin, tipping his head back to look at him - Link sought out the certainty in Rhett’s hazel eyes, hoping he didn’t mirror with deceit. “You deserve to be happy, Link” Rhett said earnestly. _He didn’t, Link thought, he didn’t deserve the altruism sat before him._

He needed to make the most of it, whilst he still had Rhett, whilst he could pretend that just for tonight, Rhett was his. 

“Please, let me kiss you” Link whispered, his voice trembling. 

“I don’t know if I can” Rhett whispered back, vulnerable. 

“Why not?” 

“Because I know if I start, I won’t be able to stop” 

“I don’t want you to stop, not ever"

“Link, I care about you too much to let anything more happen, if you change your min-“ 

“I’m not going to change my mind about the divorce!” Link interrupted, desperation in his voice.

“If you change your mind, one kiss is easier for him to forgive, giving yourself entierly to someone isn’t” Rhett continued gently. 

“I’m not his anymore!” Link huffed, pulling away from Rhett’s touch coldly. 

“And you’re not mine either, darlin” Rhett sighed, rubbing his hands over his face in defeat. 

“Why don’t you want me, Rhett?” Link said shakily, his eyes pooling with tears - he knew he was being unfair, he’d brought this on himself, he’d lied and cheated his way to this point, but he was _so_ desperate to be loved. 

“Come on, Link, you’re bein’ unfair” Rhett replied, evidently hurt by the accusation “I’ve been patient with you, listened to you, tried my best to help you, hell, I coulda been fired yesterday had any other person walked in - yet when I got home, I found myself not even caring, thinking that maybe it woulda’ been worth it because I finally got to hold you, touch you, _feel_ you” 

Link let out a choked sob at the admission, “I think- I think two kisses would still be forgivable” he whispered, wiping his cheek with the back of his hand, straightening up to meet Rhett’s eye line. 

Rhett smiled timidly, his eyes softening. “You’re gonna break my heart, aren’t you Neal?” 

“No, I’m gonna take care of it, of you” Link countered somewhat truthfully, gathering Rhett’s hands in his own. _Even though I lied to you._

“This has to be the last time, for now” Rhett said quietly, squeezing Link’s fingers gently. 

“I know” Link whispered, leaning into Rhett’s space, pressing a kiss to the corner of his bearded mouth. Then another to the other corner, then one to the tip of Rhett’s nose, then one to the freckle that sat under his eye. Rhett sighed contently, almost nuzzling into the touch, his thumb still rubbing over the back of Link’s hand. Rhett stopped suddenly, his finger tracing over the empty space on Link’s ring finger. Link looked back at him, knowing what Rhett had just realised - _at least it made his lie a little more believable._

“Come upstairs with me sweetheart” Rhett murmured, not commenting on the new discovery. rising to his feet and tugging Link up to join his, carefully manoeuvring their bodies to avoid disturbing Jade. They crept up the carpeted staircase, like two school kids sneaking past their parents, Link clasping Rhett’s hand tightly as his heart pounded with every step he took. Rhett guided him into his bedroom, slowly backing Link up until his legs touched the soft sheets. 

Link carefully sunk down onto the mattress, lying flat on his back as Rhett crawled over his, his knees bracketing Link’s hips, both hands coming down to rest either side of Link’s head. 

“I need you to know…” Rhett started, dropping his head down to press a kiss to Link’s jaw. “That you can stop…” Another kiss was pressed to his neck. “Whenever you need to…” He punctuated his final point with a soft kiss to Link’s cheek, slowly removing Link’s glasses and folding them carefully onto the nightstand. “You just tell me, if we need to stop, okay?” Rhett stated, leaning back down and hovering over Link’s mouth. 

“I know” Link whispered back, in awe of the man above him, messy tendrils of hair hanging over his face that had escaped from his bun. Link reached up, tucking one strand behind Rhett’s ear, smoothing it down tentatively. 

“Link…” Rhett began, his voice thick with emotion as he stared back into Link’s curious eyes. 

“Don’t talk, not now, just kiss me, please” Link whispered again, his hand cupped to the skin of Rhett’s neck below his ear. So Rhett did, like he always seemed to do what was best for Link, like he could read Link better than Link could read himself - In just a few short weeks they had entwined themselves so beautifully with each other, Link was neurotic and impulsive and couldn’t bear to wait for what he wanted, where Rhett kept him grounded, held his hand when he needed a moment to breathe, talking him down from the edge whenever he got too close to it. 

For a moment, they just lingered there, a gentle press of lips together, no urgency - they had all the time in the world tonight, just the two of them in the safety of Rhett’s room. Link pressed a little firmer, allowing his other hand to tangle in the back of Rhett’s hair, tugging him closer. Link could tell Rhett was allowing him to take things at his own pace, simply obliging to however Link wanted him, like he was scared Link would startle and run - an opportunity he wouldn’t pass up on. 

Link pushed against Rhett’s chest, coaxing him to roll onto his back, nestling him carefully on the soft pillows beneath him. Link swung one leg over his waist, straddling him and adjusting his weight so as not to hurt the taller man. He leant down again, one hand still resting on Rhett’s chest, joining their lips for the third time that evening. The kiss was more feverish this time, Rhett humming in contentment at the back of his throat, cupping his palms to Link’s face. 

“Of all the places you could touch me right now, you chose my face?” Link grinned, looking down at Rhett, bringing his other hand up to stroke the curl of his moustache with his thumb. 

“I just needed to make sure, that you’re really here, that this isn’t a dream” Rhett sighed happily, dragging his thumb over Link’s brow bone, pulling him back in to kiss him again. Link gasped quietly as Rhett’s hand slid down the side of Link’s body, pressing his warm palm to the base of Link’s spine, delicately thumbing at the hem of his shirt. His palm slowly slid under the soft fabric, his fingertips marking out each notch of Link’s spine, like he was feeling his way back home. 

Link shyly lapped at the seam of Rhett’s mouth, moaning softly as Rhett indulged him, both carefully giving and taking, pushing and pulling. Now, Link’s mind was quiet, only filled with the muted noises falling from Rhett’s throat - all thoughts of lying, betrayal, screaming and fighting hushed by the remedy of Rhett’s tongue. This was everything, _everything._

_“_ Rhett” Link croaked, pulling away from his lips, still close enough for them to be touching. Rhett looked at him through hooded lids, hazy from the kisses they shared. “I’ll come back to you, I promise, I’ll come back to you” Link assured him fiercely, like no decision had ever come as easily to him. 

“I’ll be waiting” Rhett responded, pressing an open mouth to Link’s throat, claiming Link like he was his to lose in the first place. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Link. Oh dear.
> 
> Tumblr is @rhettjmc <3


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen, I'm sorry.

Link woke up the next morning, wrapped carefully in two large arms, his torso covered in the soft fabric of one of Rhett’s old t-shirts. He craned his neck slightly, peering over the duvet to spot Jade, snoring quietly on the end of the bed, tail wagging gently in her sleep. Link smiled, laying his head back down on the pillow, snuggling into Rhett’s chest closer. He allowed himself to bask in the warmth and security for a while, realising how long it had been since he’d woken up in someone's arms, having slept soundly for the entire night. 

Rhett had asked him softly to stay, insisting he didn’t have to leave after Link reluctantly peeled himself from Rhett’s mouth and hushed endearments. It took Link all of 5 seconds to come round to the idea, figuring he’d face the consequences of potentially being late to work another time - nothing else mattered more than Rhett, quietly begging him to be here in the moment with him, clinging to him like he was scared he’d lose Link if he walked out of the door. So Link did, Rhett had thrown him a big pair of pyjama pants and an oversized tee, telling his guest to keep comfy as he slipped out of the bedroom - only to return with Jade in one arm and two bottles of water in the other. 

They’d settled down for the night, allowing themselves the luxury of stealing sleepy, soft kisses as fingertips traced every inch of skin, mapping each other out, so not to forget every crevice of the other. Rhett had stroked Link’s hair, tucking the wispy, overgrown strands behind his ear as he told Link his story. Rhett trusted him so vulnerably, sharing painful memories of growing up gay in a toxic, evangelical community, where he was told so often he would find himself in Hell for loving another man, that is was wrong. Rhett bit back tears, asking how _this,_ squeezing Link in his arms for emphasis, could be wrong? He told Link how he hadn’t wanted to study Law, but he was expected to follow in his father's footsteps, ultimately deciding on family law to at least feel like he was helping _someone._ Link held him close as he whispered how leaving his family behind was the best, and simultaneously the worst, thing he had ever done, explaining how good it felt to finally be free. Link decided then and there, he would spend the rest of his time trying to make up for how cruel the world had treated the man who so selflessly gave to everything he touched.

He didn’t tell Rhett that, Link just laid there, tracing invisible lines between the freckles that scattered Rhett’s chest, the guilt of his lie weighing heavy on his own chest. _I’m sorry for lying to you,_ Link said by smoothing his palms across Rhett’s biceps, _I’m just so afraid of losing you,_ he said by softly kissing his collarbone. _I’ll never lie to you again, I swear,_ he said by rolling on top of him, mouthing at his neck until Rhett was squirming under Link’s touch. 

Link silently cursed as he was pulled from the memory by his phone ringing quietly on the bedside table, he turned it over to see Daniel calling. He groaned inwardly, carefully untangling himself from the safety of Rhett’s arms and tiptoed across the room, only answering the call when the door was shut firmly behind him. 

“Hello?” Link said into his phone, quietly descending the stairs to save Rhett from being disturbed. 

“Link” Daniel replied, his tone softer than usual as he let out a sigh through the phone. Link froze at the unusual greeting, his eyes flicking to the time displayed on the oven - 7am. 

“Everything okay?” Link asked, confused. 

“I don’t want to fight with you Link, I just want what's best for us” Daniel said, _almost_ sincerely.

“Look, Dan, this isn’t a good time, I-“ 

“I just called to say I’m sorry, and that I need you to find the paperwork from when we bought the house” 

“Uh, can it wait-“ 

“It’s 7am Link, just go downstairs, it’s in my office” Daniel replied, his tone already clipped.

“I can’t, I’ve just taken Jade for a walk, I needed some air” Link babbled quickly, gnawing on his thumbnail. 

“Well, just call me when you can” Daniel sighed.

“I really think we should talk before you do anything” Link said, pleasantly surprised by his husband's apparent levelheadedness this early in the morning. 

“What’s there to talk about? We don't have a choice”

“I just think, when you get back, we need some time apart, things aren’t really working so well anymore Dan, we can’t keep avoiding it, packing up and moving won’t fix things” Link said quietly, guilt consuming him from the inside out. 

“Link, you need to stop with this nonsense, you’re supposed to try to work things out in a marriage, not just run when things start to get difficult” Daniel sighed again, evidently struggling to remain calm.

“I think time apart would do us good, both of us… Then if things work out, we can talk about moving, but I just need some time” Link pleaded, desperate to get off of the phone, desperate to quell the guilt still bubbling in his chest. 

“We’ll talk when I’m home” Daniel eventually agreed, going quiet for a few moments. “I’ll let you go, babe, just call me when you can” 

“Okay, talk to you later” Link replied quietly, knuckling at his tired eyes as he stared out into Rhett’s yard. 

“Bye” 

Link hung up the phone, exhaling loudly as he shoved his phone back into the pocket of Rhett’s pyjama pants. He shook his head, trying to clear it, his mind working in overdrive. He took one last look at Rhett’s yard, smiling at the thought of Jade chasing a ball around the lawn one day, both him and Rhett watching her fondly. It wasn’t worlds away from the domesticity of the three of them, curled up on Rhett’s couch last night. He thought about Rhett, upstairs in the covers, waiting to welcome Link back with loving arms and last nights promise of eggs for breakfast, however Link wanted them. 

With that in mind, he spun on his heels, rubbing at his tired eyes, before spotting Rhett stood in the doorway - a broken look on his face.

“Rhett… I… How long have you-“ Link stammered, his eyes wide with fear. 

Rhett just stared back at him, his chest rising and falling heavily as he stared through Link’s eyes. His cheeks drained of their usual rosy glow, his eyes were dark and lifeless.

“How could you?” He finally whispered, his hand coming up to cover his mouth as if he was about to vomit. 

“No, no, Rhett it’s not-“ 

“It’s not what, Link?!” Rhett snapped, dragging the palm over his mouth like he was trying to wipe away Link’s words as they landed on him.

Link stood there motionless, he hadn’t planned for his lie to become unravelled like this, so soon, so cruelly. He silently begged for his brain to come up with something, _anything_ to make this better.

“Was this your plan all along? A quick lay whilst your husband was away? Is that what this is? You thought you could lie to me, tell me it was all over between the two of you and get me into bed, knowing I’d blindly give you whatever you wanted?” Rhett raised his voice, his tone was angry but his eyes read betrayal, Link knew he wasn’t mad, he didn’t think Rhett had it in him to be angry with anyone, he was just hurt beyond repair. 

“No! Gosh, don’t say that! That's not what this is!” Link pleaded, his fists balled tight at his side. 

“How could you lie to my face like that!? After I told you how proud I was of you! After I told you I knew you were going to break my goddamn heart!” Rhett was pacing frantically, his hands reaching up to pull at his hair. 

“Rhett, baby, stop” Link whispered, taking a step towards him, reaching out to try and remove the tangled hands from his curls. 

“Don’t, don’t call me that, don’t touch me” Rhett spat, cowering away from Link’s touch, repelling him where they usually attracted. 

“I didn’t mean to lie to you Rhett, I swear! I just saw you and everything felt… right! I just - I just need you, so bad” Link almost whimpered, his heart tugged in his chest as Rhett’s hands shook. 

“Do you not care about me? My job? I put everything on the line for you!” Rhett cried, his bottom lip beginning to tremble. Link had never seen anything so gut-wrenching, knowing that he had made the man in front of him cry. Rhett, his Rhett, who would do anything to make Link smile, only to be repaid like this.

“I do care about you! I care about you so damn much - I care about you more than I ever did for my goddamn husband, Rhett, that’s the problem!” Link said, frustration crawling over his skin - not at Rhett, never at Rhett, just himself. 

“I told you I wanted to wait until it was all over, you lied to me Link! I can’t get caught up in all of this” Rhett replied after a few moments, his voice thick with the tears he was fighting to hold back.

“I’m tired of waiting! I’ve wasted 42 years being unhappy, I don’t want to wait any longer for you - If I could start my life over and do it all again, with you, I would. In a heartbeat” Link admitted, laying his heart out on the kitchen table, silently begging Rhett to take it. But he didn’t deserve for his heart to land in such gentle, loving hands, he knew that. 

“This is what’s going to happen” Rhett said, somewhat calmly, fiercely wiping away the water spilling from his eyes. “I’m going to go upstairs and get in the shower, and by the time I’m finished, you’re going to be gone” 

“Rhett..” Link pleaded, his hands wringing together desperately. He was scared if he let them go he’d latch them onto Rhett.

“Then when you’re gone, you’re only going to contact me for business reasons, or to tell me you’re dropping this whole thing and I’ll shred your files and delete your number” Rhett continued, his gaze landing anywhere but on Link. Link just stared at him, his mouth open with nothing left to say. 

Seemingly content with the silence, Rhett turned around quietly and headed back up the stairs, still sniffling away the tears that continued to fall. Only when Rhett was gone, Link allowed himself to let out a choked sob, angrily pulling at his hair as if to punish himself - he deserved to feel pain, though nothing would amount to the ache he felt seeing Rhett fall apart. He dragged himself over to the staircase, slowly ascending the staircase, trying to push away the last time he’d climbed these stairs, Rhett’s fingers tangled in his own, unable to drag him to his bedroom fast enough. How had it come tumbling down, so suddenly, _so easily_? 

Link pushed open the bedroom door, greeted with Jade whining sadly at the door that joined the ensuite, like she too was begging Rhett not to go. Link swallowed back the tears, thankful for the sound of the running shower to distract him from the silence that Rhett once filled with his laughter. He scooped Jade up, whispering apologies for taking away the man who seemed to love her just as much as Link did, caring for her so unconditionally since the first time he laid eyes on her - like he knew just how important she was to Link, so did everything he could to look after her. Link set her back on the bed, quickly pulling off Rhett’s pyjama bottoms and t-shirt, folding them neatly on the unmade sheets. He rummaged around for his own clothes, the ones that Rhett had helped him out of the night before, pressing gentle kisses on the newly-revealed skin before pulling his own clothes over Link’s body, commenting on how his clothes looked so much better around his slim waist than his own. 

He took one last look at the door to the ensuite, wondering whether he should knock to say goodbye, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Knowing he’d have to say goodbye instead of 'see you later', knowing he’d never be trusted to see Rhett like this again. It was easier to just run, so he picked up Jade and didn’t look back until he was in his car, speeding back to his house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh boy :(
> 
> Find me on tumblr: @rhettjmc <3


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW FOR THIS CHAPTER: mentions of violence (no actual description of violence taking place, just someone explaining how they got an injury), a description of a panic attack and a few mentions of blood (again, nothing serious but please be cautious if this affects you!!!)

Over the next few weeks, Rhett had heard nothing from Link since the day he left. He’d received a few texts that night, begging Rhett to forgive him, that he never meant to hurt him, that he was sorry he was so selfish. As much as he wanted to, Rhett hadn’t responded, keeping to his word of only contacting him if it was regarding business. He’d spent the few weeks of silence churning through every emotion possible - he was angry at himself, he felt betrayed by Link, broken at the thought that this could be it for them - if there even was a ‘them’ to break in the first place. 

He found himself more disinterested in his work than ever, often having to ask his clients to repeat themselves or being constantly chased about deadlines by his boss - it was hard to stay focused on anything but Link. Was he okay? Had he decided to try and make his marriage work? Rhett had thought about calling him to find out, but always talked himself out of it before he could hit dial, he had to remain strong - for both of their sakes. 

He was now sat at his desk, aimlessly staring at the wall, his leg bouncing anxiously and the end of his pen tapping against his papers. He was trying to finalise the divorce for a woman he’d been working with for over a year now, it was a long and drawn-out case, both her and her husband arguing down to the last penny of their savings - he’d be happy to see the end of it. To Rhett, it made no sense that people could treat the person that they used to love so dearly like this, to him love seemed so simple, it should come easy, you should be willing to do _anything_ to make that person happy. He rubbed his eyes fiercely with the palms of his hands, trying to make himself concentrate on the documents in front of him, ultimately admitting defeat and pulling out his phone. 

**_2 Missed Calls - Link Neal_ **

**_2 Unread Messages:_ ** ****

**_Link (1:32pm):_ ** _I’m going ahead with it. ASAP._

**_Link (1:35pm):_ ** _Can you get the papers ready. I’m coming to pick them up today._

Rhett stared at his screen, immediately feeling sick - Link was coming to see him today, he only had an hour before his shift ended, so he knew Link would be coming any minute now. He immediately shot out of his seat, rummaging around his filing cabinet to find Link’s files, pulling out the thick brown envelope full of the details he’d learnt about Link over the past two months.He hurriedly pushed his other work aside, not caring that the papers he’d spent the whole day on were now scattered over the floor. 

He scanned over Link’s notes, quickly filling in the details to the _Letter of Notification_ template, outlining the reasons for Link wanting the divorce - _Unreasonable Behaviour._ He added a few more details, explaining to Daniel that divorce proceedings would now be going ahead, that Link would be responsible for the costs of the separation unless Daniel had objections to the split - further explaining he would have to pay for any further legal involvement, as well as returning a detailed response as to why he refused to sign the papers. Rhett chewed on his hangnail, a habit he’d recently picked up from Link, worrying over what Daniel would do when Link produced the papers to him. He knew that he’d threatened Link before, gotten up in his face and grabbed him, surely he wouldn’t physically hurt him again - _surely._

Link disrupted him from spiralling into panic as he knocked on the door, awkwardly clearing his throat as he stepped into Rhett’s office, shutting the door behind him with trembling hands. Rhett immediately looked up, his mouth falling open as he spotted Link, a bandaid covering the skin above his eyebrow and his right hand wrapped in a bandage. Rhett immediately got to his feet, almost tripping over himself to get to Link as quickly as possible, pulling him tight against his chest. Link immediately began to cry, his sobs muffled by the soft wool of Rhett’s sweater, his unbandaged hand tightly gripping at Rhett’s back. Rhett held him as he cried, slowly stroking his hair as one hand cupped the base of his skull, the other wrapped tightly around his waist, whispering soft words on encouragement. He inwardly winced as he felt his back twinge under the pressure of keeping Link upright, so he carefully guided Link over to the leather couch. 

He settled Link into the cushions, untangling their bodies so he could sit next to Link, silently restraining himself from reaching out to him again. “Link.. what happened? Did he do that to you?” Rhett whispered, swallowing the lump forming in his throat, he almost didn’t want to know the answer, he didn’t want to imagine someone laying their hands on Link in any way other than to love him. Link just cried harder, his cheeks burning red and his nose running, struggling to catch his breath as he sobbed. Rhett instantly wrapped a careful arm around his waist, rubbing small soothing circles onto his hipbone, trying desperately to bring him back down from the edge.

Rhett pulled Link flush against his side, whispering “ _It’s okay darlin’, I got you, you’re okay_ ” into Link’s hair, running one hand through the soft strands of silver, gently removing the foggy glasses from his face and folding them carefully with the other. When Link still wasn’t calming, Rhett pulled he smaller man fully into his lap. Link instantly shoved his face into the crook of Rhett’s neck, his arms tucked up into his own chest as he curled in on himself in Rhett’s lap. 

“I’m sorry- I’m sorry- I’m so s-sorry” Link cried out against the warmth of Rhett’s skin, the first words he had said since walking into the office, using his shaking hands to grip at Rhett’s sweater, - like he was trying to anchor himself to safety.

“Hey, hey - it’s okay, please calm down for me Link, you’re okay, I’m here, I’m not goin’ anywhere Bo” Rhett said, his hand slipping down from Link’s hair to cup the side of his face, rubbing soft circles on the cheek not buried into his neck. Link hiccuped violently, letting out another gasp for breath. Rhett let out a quiet sigh of relief as he felt Link’s body expand and deflate with a breath - the first proper one he had taken in the last 20 minutes. 

“Atta boy, good job darlin’, a few more breathes like that for me - you’re doing so well” Rhett continued gently, moving his hand to rub his back soothingly. His hand rising and falling with every shaky breathe Link took, he felt helpless. Rhett swallowed down the lump in his throat, refusing to let Link see how worried he was, this was about Link now - Link needed him. 

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, Rhett occasionally mumbling words of encouragement into messy hair, rubbing gentle circles into Link’s shirt. Link had ended up with his arms wound around Rhett’s neck, holding him tightly as he breathed steady breaths into the warm skin of his throat. 

“Rhett” Link croaked. his voice wet and broken. “I really am sorry, I’m so sorry” 

“I know you are, it’s okay”

“It’s not, I’m sorry I lied, I didn’t mean to, you didn’t deserve it, I’m sorry I hurt you - I’ll never stop being sorry” Link babbled, tears still streaming down his flushed cheeks. 

“Please stop crying Link, I can't bare it” Rhett whispered, his voice thick as his thumb desperately tried to catch Link’s tears as they fell. Link adjusted himself on Rhett’s lap, sliding down slightly so his ear was pressed firmly to Rhett’s chest, letting out a sigh as he heard the gentle thump of Rhett’s heartbeat. 

Rhett looked down at the man curled into him, lifting his thumb to carefully trace over the bandaid stuck precariously on his forehead, leaning down to press a soft kiss to the skin. “Please talk to me” Rhett pleaded, squeezing Link gently to let him know he was here. Link gulped, trying to swallow down the tears that threatened to reappear, sniffing heavily and clearing his throat. 

“He was fine when he got home… He said we could talk soon, he kept putting it off but I thought he was just tired from looking after his parents” Link began, his finger tracing over the seam of Rhett’s sweater. “Then I was in the kitchen at lunchtime, I had the day off work, just making lunch, he came storming in, yelling… He’d been drinking, he does a lot these days, never usually that early in the day though” Link shivered, causing Rhett to reach down and tangle his fingers with Link’s uninjured hand, rubbing his thumb over the back of his hand. “He said he’d checked the home cameras from when he was away, to see what I’d done whilst he was gone, he asked me why I didn’t come home that night I was with you” 

Rhett felt his blood run cold and his throat tighten, was it his fault Link had been hurt? He didn’t know how he would live with himself if that was the case. 

“He demanded to know where I was, I tried to say I’d stayed at the office, working late and I just slept on my couch, but he didn’t believe me… I was trying to calm him down but he was yelling and wouldn’t stop” Link sniffed, gripping Rhett’s hand tighter as he recalled the memory. “He drained his wine glass and threw it at me, I managed to duck and it hit the cabinet but a piece caught me” pointing to the bandaid on his eyebrow, “then left me to clear it up, I cut my hand on all the glass, I hate blood, I was crying and asking him to help, I knew I’d pass out - he said I didn’t deserve his help… I just tried to wrap my hand up without looking” 

“Link…” Rhett whimpered, his eyes glassing over as he silently cried, images of Link crying alone on the floor, begging for help as he bled, it made him want to heave. “Link, I’m sorry” 

“It’s not your fault” Link said fiercely, twisting to meet his eye line.

“It is, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have made you stay, I’m sorry” Rhett whispered, holding Links face in his hands. 

“It was my choice, Rhett, and I don’t regret it, not one bit” 

“Let me look at it for you” Rhett said, smoothing his fingers over the bandaid. 

“It’s not your problem to fix” Link said quietly, looking down at his lap. 

“I just want to take care of you, let me” Rhett pleaded, his thumb coming down to trace over Link’s bottom lip. Link looked back up at him, his eyes still red and wet, giving him a small nod. 

“Stay here, I’ll get the first aid kit” Rhett told him, slowly sliding out from underneath Link, carefully laying him down on the couch.He slid out of the office, almost running down the hallway to the reception. He furiously wiped away the tears forming in his eyes as he searched for the green box, trying to push the thoughts swarming his head - _how could he let this happen to him?_

As he slid back into the office, first aid supplies and a bottle of water in hand, he saw Link laid out on the sofa where he’d left him, sniffling quietly. Rhett just watched him for a second, his hair spread across the cushion he laid on, his puffy eyes shut, eyelashes fanned and shiny with tears. To Rhett, he was perfect. He was everything. How could somebody treat him with anything but kindness? 

“Hey, can you drink some of this for me?” Rhett asked quietly, kneeling down by the couch to meet Link’s level, offering out the glass of ice water to him. Link accepted graciously, gulping down almost all of the cool water in seconds, evidently thirsty after his panic attack. Rhett took the glass back from him, smiling softly as if to say _I’m proud of you._

“Can I?” Rhett asked a few moments later, lowering a careful hand to the side of Link’s face, stroking his brow bone cautiously. Link pulled his bottom lip between his teeth, a telltale sign he was trying not to cry again, but nodded nevertheless. “You don’t have to be strong around me sweetheart, cry if you need to” Rhett whispered, slowly pulling away the bandaid as Link winced, allowing hot tears to spill from his eyes again. Rhett frowned inwardly, it wasn’t a deep cut, but it still wept a little as he dabbed it with antiseptic, his heart shattering as Link whimpered in pain. He felt Link feel around with his free hand, Rhett instantly understood what he needed, dropping one hand to interlock with Link’s. It was trickier to tend to the graze with only one hand, but his hand in Link’s seemed to stop the smaller man from crying, so he didn’t give letting go a second thought. He smoothed a fresh bandaid over the cut, one that blended to Link’s skin easier to make his injury less obvious to an outsider. Without thinking, Rhett leaned forward and pressed a kiss over the bandaid, sealing it with love. 

“Can I look at your hand now?” Rhett asked, wanting to let Link know he was in control of the situation. Link nodded again, his face more relaxed now, the tight scowl had fallen from his complexion, replaced by a small smile. With one hand still in Link’s, he unwrapped the clumsily applied bandage from the other hand, noticing it was still bleeding a little. 

“Don’t look darlin’, I don’t want you fainting on me” Rhett laughed softly, “Keep lookin’ at me, don’t look down”. He pulled out another antiseptic wipe, cleaning round the cuts on Link’s palm, telling him stories about what he’d had for dinner the previous night and the plot of an awful movie he’d seen at the weekend to keep Link distracted, his heart tugging in his chest whenever Link let out a small laugh. He finished of bandaging Link’s hand, securing it with tape and a kiss to the palm, before looking back up at Link. 

“Thank you” Link whispered, his hand still clutched in Rhett’s as they looked at each other with soft eyes. “I didn’t deserve for you to help me” 

“Link, stop it, you deserve so much more” Rhett replied honestly, sweeping the hair that had fallen from Link’s forehead with his spare hand, tucking the overgrown parts behind his ear. “I’m sorry I kicked you out that morning, I was angry at myself, not you” 

“Please don’t apologise Rhett, please” Link pleaded “You had every right to, I shouldn’t have lied like that” 

Rhett just shook his head gently, his hand still cupped to the side of Link’s face. He leaned in tentatively, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of Link’s mouth, smiling to himself as he heard the breath catch in Link’s throat. 

“I thought you said no kissing” Link murmured playfully, scrunching his nose in secret glee at the affection. 

“Wasn’t on the mouth, doesn’t count” Rhett shrugged, huffing a laugh before planting kisses over Link’s cheeks, nose, forehead and chin until Link was giggling uncontrollably, squirming under Rhett. “Better now?” 

“Much better” Link smiled, pressing his own kiss to Rhett’s bearded jaw.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> poor Link :( 
> 
> Thanks for reading, I love reading all of your comments too!!! <3  
> I have about another 10-ish chapters planned for this fic, it's going to have a lot of twists and turns coming up too.. See you hopefully Monday for a new chapter!!!
> 
> As always, find me on tumblr @rhettjmc <3


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The boys make another bad decision, what's new.
> 
> tags updated :]

Link had left Rhett’s office with an envelope of divorce papers under one arm and a warm feeling in his chest. He’d stayed with Rhett a little longer after his hand and face had been carefully tended to, Rhett had pulled out a sleeve of cookies and made them coffee so they could talk, just like they did the first day they’d met. Rhett had talked him through what would happen after Link handed Daniel the papers, explaining everything easily and sensitively, recognising when Link needed a moment to breathe. Rhett had walked him back out to his car, opening the door for him and hugging Link tightly, promising that Link could turn to him - no matter what.

_“You’ll call if anything happens like that again?” Rhett asked, his brow tight with concern._

_“I will, I promise - It won’t happen again though” Link replied, resting a hand on Rhett’s arm._

_“I know I said business only and I still kinda mean that - but this is different, okay? You ever need to get away, you just call me” Rhett assured him, running his thumb over the bandaid one last time before Link ducked into his car and drove home._

He’d wanted to tell Daniel as soon as he had gotten home, but he once again arrived home to Daniel asleep on the couch, an empty wine bottle beside him and Jade whining next to her food bowl. That had pretty much been Link’s life for the next seven days, he’d go off to work and return home to Daniel drunk or passed out on a recliner. Link didn’t bother trying to approach the subject whilst Daniel was drunk, knowing he’d only end up with something else thrown at him - so he kept the papers tucked securely in the glove box of his car, the same place he hid his wedding band when he wasn’t around Daniel.

He’d also spoken to Rhett a lot, who agreed that giving Daniel the papers whilst he was drunk wasn’t a good idea. It made Link feel unbelievably giddy whenever he received a message from Rhett each evening, asking if Link was okay. He knew how much Rhett worried about him and every text reminded him how incredibly selfless Rhett was - caring so unconditionally about Link after he’d betrayed him so terribly.

-

Link was now stood in front of the mirror, holding up various shirts to his chest. He was getting ready to attend the NC State College 20th Anniversary reunion event for the class of 2000, the large majority of him was undoubtedly anxious - he hadn’t seen, or spoken to, hardly any of his friends from college since he’d met Daniel. He’d inadvertently made Link cut everyone off who wasn’t him, so Link had lost contact with everyone he once considered a friend. He was also nervous because Daniel had supposed to go with him, he’d insisted, but since his husband was currently downstairs, six whiskeys deep, he suspected he’d be going solo. As if that wasn’t enough, Rhett was _also_ going to be there, it made sense since they’d graduated in the same year, they’d exchanged a few texts - agreeing that it would be for the best to stay clear of each other, knowing they’d both find it hard to behave.

He settled on a white shirt, with black and grey intricate floral designs scattered across the chest and back, tucked into a tight pair of black jeans and his clear frames rested on his nose. Thankfully, the top of his glasses sufficiently covered the small, healing graze above his eyebrow, hoping that it wouldn't be noticeable to an outsider. His grey hair was more prominent than ever recently, he seemed to wake up each morning with a new patch of hair claimed silver. He didn’t mind though, not anymore, not now he had Rhett’s voice in his mind reassuring him how attractive it was. 

A few minutes later, he crept down the stairs, cautious to not wake Daniel who was passed out on the couch again, offering Jade a quick kiss on the head before setting her in the crate for the night, assuring her they’d go for a long walk tomorrow to make up for it. Link grabbed his keys quietly, slipping into his black sneakers and heading out the door, not looking back in case Daniel began to stir.

-

As Link pulled into the parking lot of NC State University, he felt an overwhelming rush of nostalgia - remembering how carefree he was twenty years ago, the world at his feet. He twiddled the wedding band placed awkwardly on his finger, before deciding to pull it off and stuff it inside the glove box again, double-checking the papers were still there in the process. He figured he’d try to avoid all conversation about Daniel tonight, not many of his old friends even knew that he had gotten married, so he figured it would be easy enough. Besides, Daniel hadn’t bothered to accompany him anyway.

Link followed a group of ladies into the main entrance and down the hallway to the gymnasium, smiling fondly at the photos that plastered the walls on the way down, trying to spot Rhett in the basketball team pictures - making a mental note to try and sneak him away later so he could point himself out to Link. One of the ladies pulled open the doors, revealing the large hall crammed with people, chatting and laughing among themselves. He panicked internally for a second, not realising until now just how many people would be here. He spotted the refreshments in the far corner, deciding that would be a good place to start. As he quickly walked around the edge of the hall to the refreshment table, he quickly tried to scan the crowd for any sign of Rhett, but to no avail, there were far too many people.

“Link?! Is that you?” Someone called as Link reached for a beer from the large cooler, causing his gaze to lock onto Gregg, his old roommate.

“Gregg!” Link exclaimed, surging forward to pull him into a crushing hug, grinning from ear to ear as he pulled away.

“Hey man! It’s so good to see you!” Gregg almost cheered, clinking his own beer bottle against Link’s as he slapped his shoulder fondly. It really _was_ good to see Gregg, they’d been roommates and best friends for the entirety of college, Link instantly felt guilty that he’d cut him off so easily at Daniel’s request.

“I’m sorry it’s been so long” Link said sheepishly, picking at the label on his bottle.

“It’s cool brother, I know how life can be” Gregg shrugged, before instantly breaking into an animated conversation about his wife and four kids, telling him anecdotes about their recent trip to Disney and what each of them had asked for this coming Christmas. Slowly, other members from Link’s old classes joined their group, each adding their own stories about their lives enthusiastically, Link didn’t really care too much, but he was just grateful that nobody seemed to be asking about his life.

His head shot up at the sound of a familiar laugh, almost echoing throughout the hall. Link immediately spotted Rhett, leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the room, grinning wildly at something a petite woman was explaining to him. Link felt a wave of jealousy wash over his skin, prickling angrily as the woman leaned in closer and slapped Rhett’s arm playfully. He almost considered barging over there, until Rhett lifted his gaze, immediately landing on Link. _Gracious,_ was he beautiful. He had a grey, washed-out denim jacket on over a mustard sweater and black jeans painted to his legs, similar to the ones Link was wearing himself. His hair was pulled back into a curly bun and his beard has been trimmed slightly, uncovering his shit-eating grin when he spotted Link staring back at him. Link smiled back timidly, flushing crimson as Rhett winked at him, raising his own beer to his lips and taking a swig, before turning his attention back to the brunette beside him.

Link couldn’t help but wonder how long they would actually manage to stay clear of each other tonight.

-

He didn’t know how he had managed to drink so much, considering he'd originally planned to drive home - but, around five beers later, Link lifted another almost empty bottle to his lips, catching Rhett’s eye on the opposite side of the room again as he took a swig, not breaking eye contact as he licked his lips after lowering the beer. Rhett discreetly shook his head at Link, his eyes dark and keening as he tore them away from Link to carry on the conversation with those around him. Link smirked to himself, knowing the power he held over Rhett after every attempt of keeping his distance. Link quickly downed the rest of his beer, nodding in agreement every once in a while at the conversation that flowed in his circle, not paying attention as he watched Rhett. His stomach tightening as he watched Rhett listen intently to his friends, throwing his head back as he laughed loudly every so often, his slender fingers curled tightly around his own beer.

“I’m gonna head over to those guys, my old basketball team” Gregg told Link, slapping a hand on his shoulder as he spoke into his ear. Link followed Gregg’s gesture, realising he was pointing to Rhett’s group. “You’re welcome to join me”

“Sure” Link grinned, grabbing another beer from the table and popping it open, sealing his fate of having to call an Uber home and collect his car the next day. The burning and twisting in his stomach grew more intense with every step they took towards Rhett’s group. Their circle opened up as Gregg and Link approached them, welcoming Gregg with a cheer and several slaps on the back - Rhett caught Link’s eye, quirking his eyebrow at him as he smirked, knowing that Link had come over there to cause mischief.

“Let me introduce y’all to Link!” Gregg exclaimed after he had finished greeting everyone, introducing Link to each member of the circle with Link shaking their hand politely, nodding as they told him their names.

“… And this is Rhett!” Gregg finished off, gesturing to the man beside him.

“Nice to meet you” Link smirked, extending the hand that wasn’t clutching his beer for Rhett to shake.

“Nice to meet you too, Link” Rhett shot back, wrapping his large palm around Link’s hand, squeezing it a little tighter.

“You won’t have any trouble rememberin’ Rhett! He’s the tallest guy here” Gregg joked, slapping Rhett on the back.

“I’m sure I won’t” Link shrugged casually, his eyes scanning over Rhett’s torso, causing the tall man to blush inwardly under his stare.

“And Link here was always gettin’ us into all kinds of trouble back in college” Gregg told Rhett, nudging Link in the ribs playfully.

“That so?” Rhett smirked, raising his eyebrows as he lifted his beer to his lips, taking another swig.

The group continued with casual conversations, everyone chipping in with anecdotes and funny stories about their time on the court twenty years ago and how little they had actually studied for their course - most of them complaining about how they’d never used one ounce of their degree since graduating from college. Link wasn’t particularly listening, he kept catching Rhett’s eye, purposefully wrapping his lips around the neck of his bottle and tipping the cool liquid down his throat, making a point of licking his lips. Rhett continued to glare at him in disapproval, yet Link couldn’t help but notice how Rhett awkwardly rearranged his pants a few times as he spoke.

“I’m just gonna go pee” Link said quietly to both Gregg and Rhett, handing his bottle to Gregg to look after.

“I need to go too, I’ll walk with you” Rhett said casually, his words slurring round the edges. Gregg smiled at them both, nodding before enthusiastically returning to his conversation about college-league basketball.

Link walked with Rhett across the hall, falling into perfect unison, stumbling occasionally with alcohol lying heavy in their stomachs, as they headed through the back door into the hallway. They stayed in silence until they reached the bathrooms, Rhett looking around them to check nobody had followed them before tugging Link into the staff bathroom, locking the door securely behind them.

“You’re driving me crazy tonight, Neal” Rhett growled, crowding Link against the door, one hand coming up to grab his chin. Link instantly flushed hotly at the gesture, feeling Rhett's fingers grip at his jaw possessively. 

“I’m not doing anything” Link replied innocently when he managed to catch his breath, rolling his hips lightly into Rhett’s crotch.

“Don’t you start what we can’t finish” Rhett hissed desperately, pressing Link into the door, their mouths just millimetres apart. Link could almost taste the beer and the sweet frosting from the complimentary cupcakes on his breath, it only made him feel even more intoxicated.

“Maybe I want to finish” Link shot back, one hand flying up to tangle in Rhett’s hair, tugging at it until the curls fell down to his shoulders.

“Link” Rhett groaned, one hand placed besides Link’s head on the door, holding him up. He pushed on it, allowing himself to stand up and take a few steps back, rubbing his hands over his face as if he was trying to sober up. “Alright, get outta my way before I do something I regret” He sighed, half chuckling at the situation they kept finding themselves in.

“I’m not going anywhere” Link shrugged, a filthy smirk playing on his lips as he leaned against the door, his arms folded lazily over his chest.

“Link…” Rhett warned him, his hooded gaze almost searing through Link’s skin.

“Gonna get on your knees for me McLaughlin? Right here in the bathroom? Knowing anyone could walk by and hear us?” Link asked, his voice sweet as honey, his teeth tugging at his bottom lip playfully.

“Watch your mouth” Rhett warned again, his eyes turning darker by the second as he took a few steps closer to Link, wobbling slightly as the alcohol pulsed through his veins.

“Gonna service me? Get me off and then walk me back into the hall to your friends like you didn’t just have my cock in your mouth?” Link continued, his hand coming down to palm at his own crotch through his jeans, the beer in his system loosening his lips as the filthy words continued to spill from his mouth. He never spoke like this, he never pushed his luck this far - but seeing Rhett there, pupils blown and his hair a mess from where Link had pulled at it was driving him insane.

“I said, watch your mouth” Rhett almost whimpered, closing the distance between them again, grabbing Link’s wrist that he was using to palm at his cock with one of his large hands and pining it above Link’s head with ease. Link’s knees almost gave out as he writhed under the weight of Rhett holding him against the door, he wasn’t sure if it was due to the alcohol in his system or the sheer excitement of being pinned down by Rhett - probably a mixture of both.

“Make me” Link whispered, staring back at the man towered over him, his gaze dropping to Rhett’s mouth. Rhett immediately crashed his mouth against Link’s, the hand not pinning Link to the door moving to cup the back of his neck, tugging Link even closer to him. Link moaned into Rhett’s mouth, opening up to allow Rhett to sweep his tongue across Link’s, coaxing even more noises from the back of his throat. 

“You drive me fucking insane” Rhett murmured against Link’s mouth, tugging at the top button of his shirt. Link loved how Rhett became when he was drunk and horny, he lost the buffer that usually kept the filthy words from tumbling out. Like Link had finally broken the flood gates. “Look so damn good in this shirt, couldn’t keep my eyes off you all night”

“Yeah? You like it?” Link asked breathlessly, pulling his arm free from Rhett’s grip whilst he was distracted and continued to unbutton his shirt, finishing what Rhett had started just seconds ago. He felt grateful for the cool air of the bathroom hitting his exposed torso, his chest flushed a deep red under his arousal.

“Yeah baby, can’t decide if I want it on or off of you” Rhett husked, pressing wet kisses to Link’s throat, sucking at his prominent Adam's apple for a moment, before continuing his descent. He mouthed at Link’s collarbone, spurred on by Link twisting his fingers into Rhett’s curls again and pulling, hard.He tugged harder, pulling Rhett back up to his mouth again, desperate to taste the sweet vanilla and ale on his tongue, leaning in for a softer kiss this time. They shared a slow and deep kiss for what felt like an hour, both of Rhett’s arms wrapped around Link’s bare waist now that his shirt was fully undone, both of Link’s hands still in Rhett’s hair. God, he loved his hair.

“You make it so damn hard to resist you” Rhett sighed breathlessly, finally pulling away, his large palms still gripping Link’s hips tightly.

“Maybe I don't want you to resist me anymore” Link smirked, nosing at Rhett’s jaw before pressing a series of light kisses to his throat. “As far as I’m concerned, I’m all yours baby” Link whispered into Rhett’s neck, licking a stripe down the side before sucking a dark bruise under the neckline of his sweater, marking his territory. “Can’t stop thinking of all the things I’m gonna do to you when I’m finally free”

“Yeah? Like what?” Rhett moaned, his voice gravely from arousal, grabbing the underside of Link’s thighs and hoisting him up, pressing his back into the door again as Link wrapped his legs around Rhett’s waist - seemingly satisfied that they were now the same height. They stumbled around a bit, knowing that this position definitely wasn't smart considering how drunk they both were, but it didn't matter, feeling this close and manhandled by Rhett was like Christmas came early for Link.

“Thought you didn’t want me to start what we couldn’t finish?” Link teased, nipping at Rhett’s bottom lip with his teeth.

“Can’t you ever just behave?” Rhett asked Link, gripping his thighs tighter as he licked his way back into Link’s mouth, trying to shut him up.

“Can’t you just get on your knees?” Link shot back as he pulled away, kissing his way to Rhett’s earlobe and gently biting at it as he dug his nails firmly into Rhett’s shoulders.

“Ask nicely” Rhett almost growled, his pupils blown with lust as he set Link back on his feet, the pad of his thumb rolling over one of Link’s exposed nipples.

“Please, baby” Link whimpered, rolling his hips to rub their groins together again, not caring about the filthy moans escaping from their mouths. _Let them hear,_ Link thought. Rhett almost instantly dropped to his knees, pressing sloppy kisses to Link’s stomach, lapping at the milky skin above his pants before fumbling around with his belt. Link could feel his heartbeat thrumming in his ears, the buzz from the beers he had sunk earlier coating his senses in a euphoric way. He looked down at Rhett, on his knees from him, unzipping his jeans and peeling them fall to the floor, instantly attaching his mouth to the flesh of Link’s thighs. 

“You sure you want to do this Rhett?” Link asked quickly, terrified that the answer might be no, now that he had him here. Rhett just looked up at him, innocent hazel eyes met his own as Rhett leaned in and mouthed at Link’s cock through the fabric of his boxers. Link immediately bucked his hips at the contact, his head thunking against the door in pleasure. Rhett gripped Link’s hips again, holding him still as he continued to soak Link’s black boxers in saliva, sucking at his length through the cotton, leaving filthy wet marks all over his underwear.

“You gonna be good for me, darlin’?” Rhett whispered, kissing the inside of Link’s thigh as he tugged his boxers down below his knees, allowing Link’s cock to slap against his stomach. Link couldn’t respond, merely nodding, his words caught at the back of his throat as he looked down at Rhett, who was staring hungrily at Link’s cock, wetting his lips with his tongue.

“So beautiful, baby, so big for me, such a good boy” Rhett crooned, not breaking eye contact with Link as he licked his way from root to tip, swirling his tongue over the leaking head of Link’s cock. Link cried out at the sensation, instantly clapping his hand over his mouth to silence himself.

“Shut yourself up on these for me” Rhett murmured, reaching up to press two fingers to Link’s mouth. “Make ‘em nice and wet sweetheart.” Link obliged, sucking Rhett’s thick fingers past his lips, thankful for the intrusion as Rhett lowered his mouth onto Link’s cock, not stopping until his nose was buried in the small thatch of hair. Link moaned around Rhett’s fingers, silently amazed at how Rhett managed to take him all at once, watching in awe as he pulled back with ease, bobbing his head expertly to take as much of Link as he could each time. Rhett pulled his fingers from Link’s mouth, trailing his spit-slicked fingertips down Link’s torso, his mouth never leaving Link’s cock in the process.

As he continued to work on Link, hollowing his cheeks as he sucked perfectly on his cock, he took his wet fingers and slid them underneath Link’s balls, tracing his fingertips over the skin until he reached the tight ring of muscle he was searching for. Link instantly gasped, bucking his hips again under the contact, causing Rhett to gag obscenely, only making the man on his knees rub over his entrance harder, trailing his dripping fingers around his hole teasingly.

“Rhett, Rhett - I’m gonna cum, baby, I’m gonna cum” Link panted, sweat dripping from his brow as he looked down at Rhett again, over the top of his glasses that had slid down his nose in the process. Rhett took him deeper again, sucking and hollowing his cheeks until Link was shaking underneath him, babbling Rhett’s name over and over into the crook of his elbow in an attempt to keep quiet. Rhett slowly pressed the tip of his index finger into Link’s ass, causing Link’s vision to turn white, blurring his surroundings as he came into Rhett’s mouth, spurting thick ropes of cum into the back of his throat. Rhett swallowed, continuously sucking until Link fell back against the door, boneless - only removing his lips with an obscene pop when Link struggled to stay upright. 

He panted heavily, trying to catch his breath as he watched Rhett rise to his feet, messily wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, his hair dishevelled and brow covered in a thin layer of sweat. Link swore he had never seen anything so beautiful in his life. They stared at each other for a moment, taking in the other now that they saw one another in a way they never had before, Link's gaze glued to Rhett’s swollen lips.

When Link could finally see straight, he bent over to pull his boxers and pants back up, securing his belt with shaky hands as he felt Rhett staring at him intently. As he started to button his shirt, he looked back up at Rhett, who sported a lop-sided grin, one hand cupped over the tenting in his jeans.

“Happy now?” Rhett asked casually, his eyebrows raising before casting an exaggerated gaze to Link’s crotch.

“Shut up” Link choked out a laugh, grabbing Rhett by the collar of his jacket, slamming him against the opposite wall and quickly fumbling at the taller man's belt, silently praying as he got to his knees that nobody had noticed how long they had been gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops? 
> 
> @rhettjmc on tumblr


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be cautious, there is a domestic argument in the second half of this chapter!!
> 
> Welcome back, only about six more chapters to go!

Rhett slipped out of the bathroom, boneless and spent, having waited a few moments for Link to get a head start, so it didn’t look _too_ suspicious. As he walked back down the hallway towards the gymnasium, he fought to keep the grin off of his face. The voice in the back of his mind reminded him that what they had just done was terrible, the exact opposite of what Rhett had insisted shouldn’t happen - but he couldn’t bring himself to care, not tonight, not after Link had told Rhett that he was now _his_. 

He smoothed down his hair one last time, before pushing open the double doors to rejoin their group, wondering how many touches he could sneak to Link without anyone noticing. He stopped by the refreshment table, gathering two beers in his hand to take back to Link, twisting them open and squeezing his way through the crowd to where they had stood before. 

As he approached the group, he immediately spotted a smaller man, with cropped sandy hair, wrapping his arm tightly around Link’s waist. Rhett froze for a second, noticing how the man's fingers dug possessively into Link’s hip, that couldn’t be…

“Rhett, you’re back!” Greg grinned, tugging his arm to pull him back into the space between himself and Link. “This is Daniel! Link’s husband, he had to work late so he only just arrived” Greg explained, gesturing over to the man still holding Link tight to his side. 

“Uh... Hi, nice to meet you” Rhett stumbled over his words, trying desperately to catch Link’s eyes, but they stayed firmly glued to the floor. 

“You too” Daniel said simply, his voice slurring a little as he leaned against Link for support, Rhett’s heart jumped in his throat as Link winced, trying to edge away from the embrace. 

“I, uh… Got you another beer, man” Rhett said awkwardly, offering one of the bottles to Link who still refused to look at him, his right hand stuffed into the pockets of his jeans. _His ring,_ Rhett thought, realising that Link always took it off around Daniel - now he was here and Link was without it, he was trying to hide his finger. 

“He’s not having anymore, he already can’t drive home” Daniel interrupted sharply, pushing away Rhett’s offer with his spare hand, his glare turning cold as he gave Rhett the once over. 

“Sure, no problem” Rhett said through his teeth, wanting to smack the scowl off of his stupid face. Instead, he offered the spare bottle to one of his old teammates who took it graciously. Rhett crossed the group, slipping next to the guy he had just given the beer to, immediately diving into a conversation about everything and anything to distract himself from Link in the arms of another man. He kept this up for another half an hour, stealing quick glances over at Link, who still kept his eyes to the floor, only lifting them to nod at something that Daniel was saying. 

Looking up for the final time, he watched as Daniel nudged at Link, pressing a forceful kiss to his mouth. That’s when Rhett’s stomach lurched, as he watched Link kiss his husband with the same mouth he’d wrapped around Rhett’s cock less than an hour ago. Fuck, he needed to get out of here. 

He murmured a quick goodbye to a few of his friends, promising to catch up with them soon, before striding out of the hall, not looking back until his feet his the cool concrete of the parking lot. He swallowed down a scream, almost running back over to his car. He knew he couldn’t drive home, he’d had far too much to drink. He didn’t intend to drink that much, he’d planned on having one drink with his friends and then leaving after an hour or so, but Link had shown up and continued to press beers into his hand and how could he ever say no to Link? 

He ripped open the car door, fumbling around in the glovebox for the small cardboard packet of cigarettes and the plastic lighter he kept in there. He didn’t smoke, not regularly, just sometimes he needed stress relief after a particularly gruelling case. He could probably count on one hand the number of cigarettes he’d smoked in the past year, but he was desperate for something to relieve the tension that had a choke-hold on his chest. 

Propped up against the brick wall of the University, one leg tucked up to rest his foot on the wall, Rhett slipped the cigarette between his lips, cupping his hands around it as he clicked the lighter a few times until the end ignited with a soft, orange glow. He sighed defeatedly, before taking a long drag of the cigarette, holding the smoke in the back of his throat for a second before exhaling, blowing a warm cloud into the night air. He pulled it from his mouth, holding it between his thumb and forefinger, ashing it carefully as he urged away the thought of somebody else’s hands over Link, just metres away from him. 

-

Link’s hands trembled as he pulled the keys out of the ignition. It had been two days since the reunion and things had rapidly gone downhill since Daniel had shown up and broken the high both him and Rhett were riding on. He didn’t think he’d ever forget the look on Rhett’s face when he came back from the bathroom, scuffs on the knees of his jeans, frozen as he spotted Daniel’s arm around Link. Link had interrogated Daniel on the Uber ride home, demanding to know why he had to show up three hours late, drunk, and not to mention an asshole to his friends. Truth be told, Link couldn’t give less of a shit about how cold Daniel had been to his ex-classmates, but him snapping at Rhett left a sour taste in Link’s mouth. 

It didn’t help that Link had spent the last 48 hours reliving every second he spent with Rhett in that bathroom and it _certainly_ didn’t help how Rhett had sent him a photo of a purple bruise on his neck the next day, complaining that he’d had to wear a roll-neck sweater to work for the next week. Neither of them had been brave enough to approach the situation head-on, instead, skirting around the edges of conversation, talking about anything but the fact they’d peeled each other's clothes off just days ago. Link mostly felt guilty, knowing he had initiated and encouraged the whole thing, pushing Rhett’s boundaries that he was so adamant to keep up until that night, yet he also couldn’t help the butterflies hammering against his stomach whenever he pictured Rhett on his knees, looking up at him through messy curls and dark eyes.

He tried to tell himself that the fact he was now holding the large, brown envelope between his shaky hands, just steps away from the door that Daniel was behind, was nothing to do with that night. That this was for _him,_ not for the feeling he so desperately craved to experience with Rhett again. It wasn’t just about the sex, he felt drawn to Rhett in a way he’d never experienced before, almost like in an alternate universe, they’d chosen each other before they even knew what love was and stayed by each other's side for over thirty years. He wished to start his life over, to start it again with Rhett and experience everything he’d been cheated from, he wanted to see Rhett lace up the boots of a little girl with bunches and carry her on his shoulders to the park, he wanted to see Rhett opposite him, giggling his way through their vows at the altar. He wanted so much more than just 20 minutes behind the locked door of a bathroom, he wanted more than just stolen kisses, pressed against the wall of Rhett’s office, he wanted _everything_. He needed Rhett to know he wanted _everything_ too. 

**Link:** _I’m about to give him the papers. I’ll call you later xx_

Link let out a shaky breath, turning his phone off completely so not the be distracted during the inevitable fight he was about to have. He swallowed thickly, trying to rid the dry and sticky feeling from his throat as he reached for the door handle.As he opened the front door, he was immediately greeted by the soft sounds of a Lionel Ritchie album playing and the smell of seafood frying gently in the kitchen. Of _course_ Daniel would choose to be in a good mood today, of all days, _of course._

“Link? Is that you babe?” Daniel called from the kitchen, popping his head around the doorway. 

“Yeah, uh… What’s all this?” Link asked cautiously, approaching the kitchen and gesturing towards the table covered in candles and a bottle of champagne. 

“We’ve got some celebrating to do!” Daniel grinned, walking over to press a firm kiss to Link’s cheek. 

_“_ What? Why?” Link asked, desperately racking his brain for ideas, had he missed an anniversary or something? 

“I heard back from the agency today, they’ve found us a kid! We’re gonna be Dads, Link!” Daniel almost yelled, holding out his arms for Link to fall into. Link, however, stayed glued to his spot, instantly feeling sick. 

“What?” Link whispered, the blood draining from his face. 

“They called me today, a little boy! They said he’d be perfect for us!” Daniel repeated, trying to sound as excited as possible. 

Link said nothing, worried that if he opened his mouth he’d scream, or cry, or throw up - or all 3. He should be elated, he wanted nothing more than to be a Dad, he’d dreamed about it for years, determined to give his kids a better upbringing than he’d had. He always watched the Dads in the park kick footballs with their daughters and ride bikes with their sons, he wanted that _so_ badly. But now he knew he was trapped, it was essentially a choice between becoming a father or being with Rhett. He knew how long it took for adoption agencies to carry out searches and approve couples for adoption, by the time he had discussed this and settled down with Rhett, it was bound to be too late. 

“This is the point where you celebrate, Link” Daniel said through gritted teeth, snapping Link out of this thoughts. 

“I- I just didn’t expect it, that's all” Link said slowly, looking around at the flickering candles and the dinner bubbling on the stovetop.

“What’s that?” Daniel asked, nodding to the envelope still clutched in Link’s hands. 

“Oh, uh- nothing, work stuff” Link said quickly, trying to hide the papers behind his back. 

“It’s addressed to me on the front, though” Daniel stated, taking a step towards Link, almost backing him into the corner. 

“It’s nothing, seriously” Link repeated, his stomach twisting. 

“Give it to me” Daniel ordered quietly, reaching round and tugging harshly at the envelope, snatching them from Link’s grip.

“No! Daniel, please, it’s nothing, don’t open it” Link pleaded, trying to grab the envelope back. 

“Divorce papers?” Daniel almost laughed as he pulled out the papers and scanned over the front page. “Is this some kind of joke?” 

“I wanted to talk about it first, I didn’t realise you’d done all this though - I didn’t know about the agency, obviously” 

“When did you plan on telling me you’d been seeing a divorce lawyer behind my back?” Daniel spat, raising an accusing finger to Link’s face. 

“It’s not like that Daniel, honestly, I thought it was going to be a mutual thing, we haven’t been right for months!” Link insisted, trying to stop himself from bursting into tears right then and there. 

“Don’t you dare blame this on me” Daniel hissed. “Look at what I do for you” He continued, gesturing wildly at the table. 

“Please, let’s just eat dinner and we can talk about it” Link shook, his hands wringing together anxiously. 

“Rhett McLaughlin? The same Rhett you stayed out drinking with two months ago? The same Rhett as the reunion?” Daniel almost growled as he spotted Rhett’s signature at the bottom of the page. 

“It’s not like that!” Link insisted, his heart aching at the mention of Rhett’s name. 

“Is that where you snuck off to when I was away?” Daniel accused, slamming the papers onto the kitchen worktop. 

Link couldn’t answer, he swallowed thickly and stared at the floor, this was not how things were supposed to happen. 

“You’ve been having an affair with a divorce lawyer?” Daniel yelled, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the edge of the counter, his eyes glazed with a malicious look. 

“No! He’s just a friend” Link sobbed, backing further into the corner. 

“That would explain why you were both missing when I arrived that night, wouldn’t it?” Daniel laughed cruelly, loosening the tie around his neck and taking a swig from his almost-empty wine glass. 

“We kissed, once, that was it” Link lied in a whisper, figuring he should at least tell him the some-what truth. 

“You make me sick, Lincoln” Daniel spat, staring at him harshly. 

“I’m sorry” Link whispered, eyes pooled with hot tears, his cheeks red with shame.

“Here’s what's going to happen, you’re going to block his number, we’re going to accept the agencies’ offer and we’re going to be moving away from here - do you hear me?” Daniel warned, the vein in his forehead throbbing. 

_“_ But- Dan, I-“ Link stumbled over his words, desperate for a way out.

“You walk out that door and I will ensure you are never able to get your name back on the adoption list again, I will make sure you _never_ become a father, understood?” Daniel interrupted, threatening Link with the one thing he wanted more than anything in the world. “Now sit down, dinner’s ready” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :( 
> 
> @rhettjmc on tumblr <3


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't leave you guys on that cliff hanger.... :(

The next day, Link woke up to Daniel’s arm tightly gripped around his waist, miles away from the gentle arms he’d woken in a few weeks ago. There was no Jade at the end of the bed, no memories of soft kisses and vulnerable stories from the night before, no promises of eggs however Link wanted them. Just orders, demands, expectations from Daniel, Link had no choice but to listen as his husband planned out every aspect of their lives for the next thirty years. There were no promises of winters in log cabins, no coffee made just how Link liked it, no kisses on hands whenever Link scalded himself, no gentle fingertips tracing his clean-shaven jaw. 

But where Rhett could give him everything he needed, he couldn’t give Link the one thing he wanted. Link thought about blocking Rhett’s number and cutting him off cold-turkey, no calls, no explanation - just hope that Rhett wouldn’t spend the rest of his life resenting Link for what he’d done to him. But Link knew better, he knew that Rhett _deserved_ better. Link had been selfish up until this point, keeping Rhett safely tucked away in a corner of his heart that hadn’t been touched for years before he sat down in his office that day. He’d been selfish to enjoy Rhett in secret, taking and taking and taking - until now, there was nothing left to take. 

-

“Rhett?” Link said quietly, knocking softly as he popped his head around the office door. He spotted the tall man bent over his desk, the end of his pen resting between his teeth as his brow knitted together in confusion. Link felt his chest tighten at the shit-eating grin Rhett produced when he saw Link in the doorway.

“Link! Hey! What’re you doing here? You didn’t call last night, is everything okay? I was worried about you” Rhett confessed, pouting slightly before pushing his desk chair back to clamber to his feet and quickly make his way over to Link who still stood awkwardly by the door. Link could have cried when Rhett’s hands automatically reached up to Link’s shoulders to help him shrug his coat off, ready to hang it on the hook for him. 

Link winced at the contact, sucking in a small breathe before stepping back slightly, letting Rhett’s hands fall to his sides. “I’m okay but, uh, I’m uh - Not staying” Link said quietly, looking down at his feet. 

“Oh… Okay. Is everything alright Bo? Has something happened again?” Rhett asked, visibly hurt at the space Link had wedged between them. 

“I think I’ve made a mistake” Link whispered, his eyes still glued to the floor - he’d be damned if the last memory he had of Rhett was him breaking his heart. In his peripheral vision, he saw Rhett shift uncomfortably. 

“What do you mean?” Rhett asked slowly, anxiously running his hand through his hair. He had it down today, it fell in messy curls that framed his face perfectly - Link’s favourite. He was wearing a forest green shirt, buttoned all the way to the top to hide the mark left by Link and tight black pants - Link had always thought that shirt brought out Rhett’s eyes. He’d told him that night they stayed in the bar till late.

“Ab-about the divorce” Link swallowed thickly, awkwardly nudging his glasses up the bridge of his nose. 

“You mean about me? Is that why you won’t look at me?” Rhett said quietly, shoving his hands in the pockets of his dress pants, like he didn’t know where to put them if it wasn’t touching Link. 

“No! Rhett - No!” Link said almost instantly, his eyes shooting up to meet Rhett’s. He scanned his face, his usual round apple cheeks bloomed with laughter were replaced with defeated eyes and a pained scowl. 

“Then what?” Rhett asked patiently, backing up to perch on the edge of his desk. Link forced himself not tot cast his eyes over the long, stretched out limbs in front of him, knowing this would be the last time he saw them. 

“Daniel got a response from the adoption agency we saw last year, they’ve found us a child” Link said, his voice almost a whisper. 

Rhett was silent for a moment, his expression unreadable. “Link, I don’t even have to tell you how fucked up that is” He said finally, his voice wavering slightly. 

“W-what? Why?” Link snapped back, almost bordering on irritated. He was in no mood for a lecture right now, he’d had enough of those over the past few days to last a lifetime - especially not from Rhett, the man who had always supported what was best for him.

“You think a child is going to fix everything?! Do you know how fucked up it would be to bring a child in the middle of all of this?!” Rhett said, exasperated, shaking his head in disbelief, a gesture that screamed to Link, _are you seriously this stupid?_

“So you think I’d be an awful Father?” Link spat, he knew he was being completely unreasonable, but Rhett was in front of him and he needed _someone_ to scream at. His heart sank when he saw Rhett’s expression fall, he knew he was hurting him but he just couldn’t stop himself, he had so many emotions built up inside of him, he needed to get them out, no matter who he hurt in the process.

“How could you say that, Link?” Rhett said quietly “You know I don’t think you’re the problem, you’d be a great father” He continued, his shoe scuffing against the floor timidly, shrinking in on himself as Link’s malice washed over him. 

“Then why aren’t you happy for me?” Link shot back, he felt something rising and rising inside of him - he didn’t know if it was anger, or pain, or tears - or what - but he knew he was near breaking point. 

“Why am I not happy for you?” Rhett repeated back to him, almost scoffing at the words as they fell from his mouth. “Have you forgotten these past few months or something? I had to pull pieces of glass out of your hand just last week! We practically slept together two days ago- How can you seriously not know why I’m not happy about this?! ” 

“So you’re not happy for me because you’re jealous? Is that it?” Link was yelling now, his throat was tightening with every second that ticked past. He saw Rhett’s eyes flick angrily to the half-open door of his office, Link knew he shouldn’t have yelled, especially not in Rhett’s office, he knew the consequences of Rhett getting involved with a client - they’d already crossed that line once before.

“Link, shut the door and please, don’t raise your voice, not here” Rhett said defeatedly, rubbing each temple with his middle and index fingers, trying to shift a headache. Link felt himself exhale, he wanted to cry at Rhett’s gentle reaction to Link’s huge fuck-up - _this was Rhett, not Daniel._ Link did as he was told, he softly pressed the office door, letting out a shaky breath as it clicked shut. 

“I didn’t mean to raise my voice, I’m sorry” Link huffed in defeat, rubbing his tired eyes underneath his glasses. 

“Why are you doing this to yourself Bo?” Rhett asked quietly, he stared back to Link - this was a different Rhett to the one Link knew, he was timid, afraid and vulnerable, like he knew Link was about to break his heart for the second time.

“I’m not doing anything” Link said flatly, trying to push down the ache in his chest that rose every time Rhett looked at him like that. He had a job to do, he needed to cut things off and get out of there. 

“You’re trying to make something work with someone you don’t even love anymore, don’t you think you deserve more than that?” Rhett offered, his eyes silently pleading. Link simply stared out of the window, he watched a family laugh and scream happily as they kicked a football around the park, the Dad bent over to scoop the little girl into his arms before Link tore his eyes away, blinking tears away furiously.

“Unless you do still love him? Because it seems like you only want to fuck me when it suits you” Rhett said bitterly, letting out a short breathy laugh through his nose, ripping Link from his daydream. 

“Don’t say that shit to me Rhett, I’m not someone who gets off on cheating on his husband for the hell of it” Link spat venomously, pointing an accusing finger at the taller man. 

“What do you expect me to think? I- I don’t know what you want from me - you’re hurting me man, nothing I do seems to be enough for you” Rhett whispered, cowering slightly, his eyes became glassy as he pulled his bottom lip between his teeth. That’s when Link felt whatever it was inside of him break. 

“Rhett- please- I’m sorry” Link sobbed, surging forward with his arms stretched in front of him as he wrapped them around Rhett’s neck, burying his face into the top of Rhett’s hair as he still perched on the edge of his desk. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry- I’m sorry I keep hurting you, I’m sorry, I’m sorry- please”

“Link” Rhett whimpered, gently pushing him away almost instantly, holding him at arms length. “Don’t do this, please, you don’t have to do this, not with him” 

“I have to, I want to be a Dad so bad, Rhett, I don’t have a choice - you don’t understand” Link cried, tears spilling from his eyes. 

“Then I have to let you go, I’m not going to watch someone I love- I can’t do it, I can’t watch you get hurt again” Rhett whispered, releasing his grip from Link’s arms and pushing up off of his desk, wiping his own tears away fiercely. 

Link froze. 

“Someone you _what?”_ Link echoed slowly. 

“Don’t make me say it, I can’t say it knowing you won't say it back” Rhett said, his voice shook as he backed away from Link.

“I want to say it back, Rhett, I swear, I do love y-” Link said simply, swiping at his own tears with the back of his hand. 

“Please, just go, don’t make it any harder” Rhett interrupted, his head bowed solemnly over the cabinet at the back of his office, his back turned to Link. 

“I- I’m moving away, next month“ Link cried, trying to reach out to Rhett again. 

“ _Please”_ Rhett cut him off, spinning around and putting his hands out to stop Link getting any closer. 

Link exhaled slowly, he looked around the office, desperate to memorise every last inch of his safe haven. It was more than just an office, it was the only place he’d felt safe in the past year or so, with Rhett. He didn’t know how he was going to live without him.

“Link” Rhett called, his voice still thick with tears.

“Yeah?” Link answered quietly, turning to face him as he pulled the door open. 

“I would’ve tried my best to give you everythin’, had you asked me to” Rhett smiled sadly, giving Link one last look, his voice wet and broken, eyes red and swollen.

“I know” Link managed to choke out, and he _did_ know - but he left anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... So I gave you another heartbreaking chapter instead <3 
> 
> I'm sorry, please don't kill me, it's not the end, just yet, we still have some shiiiit to go. 
> 
> @rhettjmc on tumblr!


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost there!

Three weeks later, Rhett was sat in the conference room at work, bouncing his leg nervously as he waited for his boss to arrive. He’d been called last night for an emergency meeting, he didn’t know what it was about, but he really was not in the correct headspace to deal with anything urgent right now. 

It had been 21 days since Link came and left in the space of ten minutes, breaking every last piece of Rhett in his wake. He’d spent the last 20 nights sleeping in the guest bedroom because he couldn’t bear to sleep where Link had once laid, he listened to any record but the one that he usually put on whenever Link felt anxious in his meetings, he swapped his usual stash of cookies for trail mix - he tried to replace anything that Link had left his mark on. But, it was hard to wipe away what Link had left behind, he was infectious. Rhett adored his clumsy nature, the coffee-stained corner of his rug represented that. Rhett adored how Link found joy in the tiniest of things, even though life had been so unfair to him - the receipt that Link had almost cried over because the barista had drawn a little sketch of Jade on, hung on the pinboard in Rhett’s office represented that. He couldn’t bring himself to take it down or steam clean his rug, just yet. 

Rhett had now begun to feel nothing. He felt numb. He had spent a lot of time fretting, wondering if Link was okay, he tried to send one text, just to make sure - but it bounced straight back, the screen cruelly informing him that his number had been blocked. He spent a lot of time being angry, not at Link, he didn’t think he had it in him to be angry at Link - but he was angry at the world, angry that they’d both been dealt such shitty cards. But, above all, he missed Link. Terribly. So much that it was eating him alive. Stevie had realised the day Rhett came striding out of his office on the way home, asking Stevie if she could shred these files for him, his voice wavering as he set down the folder labelled ‘ _ **Charles Neal**_ ’ before promptly taking off, crying the whole way home. 

But this was all Rhett’s fault, he’d gotten distracted, his work had gotten sloppy - he’d gotten attached. He swore to himself it would never happen again. 

Rhett rose to his feet as Mr Feldman, his boss, entered the room, a pained expression on his face. Rhett greeted him with a half-hearted hello, shaking his hand firmly before seating himself opposite the other man. 

“Rhett, do you know what this is about?” Feldman asked gently, unpacking his notepad and papers from his bag. 

“No, Sir, I don’t” Rhett answered honestly, he truly had no idea. 

“We’ve had a complaint, well - an allegation made against you” Feldman began slowly, offering a sympathetic look to Rhett, he was slowly crumbling in front of him. 

“I-I- don’t know what you mean, Sir, did they say who made the allegation?” Rhett stumbled over his words, trying to rack his brain for any clients that had been unhappy with his work, he’d always been so professional, unless- 

“A Mr Charles Neal, I believe he was a client of yours up until recently? Feldman questioned, carefully adjusting his tone to make it seem like he wasn’t accusing Rhett of anything, just yet. 

“Oh” 

Rhett felt nausea creeping over him, his palms started to sweat more fiercely than normal. Surely, Link hadn’t made a complaint about him? Not after everything. Was he scared that Rhett would tell Daniel about the night at the reunion? Surely he knew Rhett better than that. 

“Listen, Rhett, I know you, you’ve worked here a long time, you’re an incredible lawyer, one of our best” Feldman assured him, offering him a weak smile. 

  
“Thank you, Sir, that means a lot” Rhett choked out, his leg almost shaking the table from how hard he was bouncing it. 

“But this Mr Neal, he’s threatening to take legal action for gross misconduct, we can’t afford that kind of publicity” Feldman said quietly. 

“Are you firing me?” Rhett whispered, his breath catching in his throat. 

“I don’t want to, Rhett, if you hand in your notice now, I can still write you a good reference for your next job - I don’t want to have to fire you” 

“Thank you, Sir, I- I’m sorry for all of this, I didn’t-“ Rhett stuttered.

“Hey now, no need to apologise, I understand how hard it can be to separate your feelings from the job sometimes, I’m so sorry it all had to end this way, my hands are tired” Feldman said apologetically, standing up and putting his hand on Rhett’s shoulder. 

“I’ll write my notice, I’ll be gone by the end of the week” Rhett croaked, clearing his throat to try and rid the tears that threatened to spill. 

Feldman nodded at him, squeezing his shoulder gently before packing up his things and leaving Rhett to sit alone. 

How stupid was Rhett to think that Link couldn’t take anything else from him? 

-

Rhett was sorting through his desk, throwing out old post-it notes and cookie wrappers ready to pack everything up. He tried not to worry about what he’d do next, he had a fair amount saved up, buying groceries and bills for one didn’t make too much of a dent in his salary. He was more afraid of being left, home alone, with his thoughts. Maybe he’d get a dog, he missed the way Jade sat on his lap and licked at his nose lovingly. Something big and boisterous, the furthest dog he could find from Jade would do just fine.

After a while of basking in his impedending loneliness, Stevie knocked on his door gently. She swun it open with caution (she never knew what to expect behind this door anymore), the office phone clutched in her hand, the other palm covering the speaker. 

“Rhett? Its uh- Mr Neal, he tried to contact you but he can’t get hold of you, I tried to say no but he said it was urgent - I’m sorry” Stevie said quietly, offering out the phone to Rhett. 

Rhett snorted out a laugh, unable to stop himself as he wondered what Link could possibly have left to say to him? He thought about telling Stevie to hang up, but what else did he have to lose at this point?

“Thanks” Rhett said almost bluntly, taking the phone from Stevie, waiting until she’d shut the door behind her on the way out to hold it to his ear.

“Rhett? Are you there?” A familiar, tinny voice asked through the receiver.

“What is it?” Rhett sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose to try and compose himself. 

“Rhett, I made a real big mistake” Link sobbed into the phone. 

“I don’t need to hear it twice, Link, I heard it loud and clear three weeks ago” Rhett almost scoffed. 

“No, no - about, about going through with this. I- I shouldn’t have done it” Link replied, sniffing loudly. 

“Shouldn't have done what? Got me fired from my job? Gross misconduct? Seriously Link? After all I did for you!” Rhett shot back, he tried his best to sound angry, but he was more hurt than anything. 

“What are you on about?” Link asked him, clearing his throat, panic rising in his voice. 

“Complaints don’t remain anonymous when you make them Link. Please don’t act dumb with me, my boss told me an hour ago, now I have no job because of an accusation made by a Mr Charles Neal” Rhett almost laughed, his life was becoming more ridiculous by the minute. 

“I didn’t make any accusation against you, I swear! I wouldn’t” Link pleaded. 

“Well, I don’t know any other Charles Neal’s” Rhett sighed, his patience wearing thin. He was in no mood for Link's games, not anymore.

“I didn’t I swear I-“ Link started, suddenly cutting himself off. “Oh Rhett, it must have been Daniel, he went out to make a call earlier, wouldn't say what for, I- I’m so sorry, I had no idea, I can make it right, I-“ 

“Don’t Link, it’s done” Rhett interrupted him, balling his spare fist at his side, whether it was true or not - it didn't matter anymore, the damage was done. 

“Have you still got my files? I’m gonna go through with it now, I swear, now that he’s done this to you, I can’t live with it, I'm leaving for good” Link cried, Rhett could almost hear him pacing back and forwards on the other side of the phone. 

“I don’t have a job anymore. If you’re serious, contact Jen, she'll sort you out, but keep me out of it this time - I mean it, Link” Rhett warned him, his thumb hovering over the disconnect button. 

“No, Rhett, please, I need you, I need you so much, I can’t do this without you” Link begged.

“Goodbye, Link, I hope it all works out for you this time” Rhett said quickly, pressing disconnect just as his voice began to break. Rhett spun round in his desk chair, trying to ignore the fat tears that had started to drip from his eyes, ripping down the receipt from his pinboard - scrunching it into a tight ball and throwing it at the trash can, making it in one shot. 

-

The last thing Rhett expected to see when he was hauling boxes out of his office next day was Link, heading down the hallway behind Jen. _He really was serious about going through with_. 

It completely winded him. It definitely was his Link, but he looked different. Fragile. Defeated. 

Link had never been fragile, even at his worst. Rhett had cleaned his wounds and stilled his trembling hands, but Link had never shown weakness, not even when he cried into the crook of Rhett’s neck. He was always brave. So brave. He bit his lip fiercely, cleared his throat whenever his voice shook, he did anything he could to be brave for Rhett - even when all Rhett wanted to do was take care of him. 

But this Link was different - like he’d finally broken. Like his light had finally gone out. His eyes were dark and drawn in, his skin was pale and clammy - worlds away from _his_ Link.

It took everything in Rhett to quickly avert his gaze, pretending to busy himself with removing the plaque from his door. He knew if he even dared to look at Link again, he’d cave, he’d run over and gather him up in his arms and never let him go again. Out of his periphery, he saw Link falter as he reached Jen’s door. He wanted to say. _you can do it Link, I believe in you, I'm so proud of you._ But he kept his mouth shut, he could feel Link staring at him, internally battling with himself as he decided whether he should say anything. Rhett didn’t know if he was grateful or bereaved when Link slipped into Jen’s office, without saying a word. 

He quickly shut himself back in his office and busied himself with removing the frames from the wall, wrapping them carefully in newspaper and packing them away in a box, smiling fondly as his fingertips brushed over a newspaper clipping of when the Wolfpack had won a tournament thanks to Rhett, his smile faltering as he thought back to the reunion. How did everything manage to work its way back to Link? 

By the time he’d packed up his final items, securing the last box with tape, he heard the murmurs of conversation in the hallway. Against his better judgement, Rhett silently crept over to the door, pressing his ear against the oak. 

_“Everything is all done on your part Mr Neal, I’m sure you’re aware of what happens next… Would you like to present the papers yourself or shall we mail them on your behalf?”_

_“Mail them, like I said earlier, I’ve left, I won’t be going back to the house”_

_“No problem, Charles, I’ll contact you via email when we’ve had a response from the other party… If all goes smoothly, you’ll just need to come in one last time to sign everything off”_

_“Thank you for your help”_

_“I’ll be in touch”_

Rhett slowly retreated from the door, almost stumbling over the boxes of possessions as he did so. _Link had actually left? For real this time? Where was he staying now?_

He thought about chasing after Link, sprinting down to the parking lot and not letting him leave till he got answers. But it wasn’t Rhett’s business anymore, he’d made it quite clear to Link he wanted nothing to do with him, or it, anymore. He had to give them both time to heal.

He shook away the thoughts, rolling up the rug he had still yet to clean. He let the soft material soothe him, smiling inwardly as he recalled buying the rug after he’d been promoted and given his very own office. It was the first thing of his he had furnished his office with over 7 years ago. He’d remembered how badly he wanted to call his parents and say ‘look! I did it!” but he knew they wouldn’t want to hear it. So instead, he went out to a fancy boutique and impulsively splurged on their most expensive rug, he sure as hell deserved it. Looking at the splotches of coffee, stained into the sage-coloured material, he smiled a little wider - it made sense that Link had tarnished it.

Rhett quickly lugged the boxes and the rug out into the hallway, taking one last look at his now-bare office. 

“He asked after you, you know” A small voice came from behind him, one he instantly recognised as Jen’s. 

“He did?” Rhett asked, his heart clenching as he turned to face her. 

“First thing he did when he sat down, he was torn apart knowing you’d lost your job” She smiled sympathetically, sipping at the coffee cradled between her palms. 

“Is he okay?” Rhett asked, still trying to digest the thought of Link worrying after him. 

“He will be, he’s a brave man” Jen said kindly and sincerely, offering Rhett a small smile. 

“I know” Rhett choked out, _Is he safe? Where is he staying? Please, God - he’s not sleeping in his car is he-_

“He’s staying in the hotel down the road, for now, he packed up and left before his partner got home from work” Jen told him gently, almost as if she’d read his mind. 

“I see” Rhett said quietly, exhaling slowly. “I better get moving, so I guess this is it Matichuk” 

“Promise me you’ll keep in contact?” Jen grinned, extending her arm to wrap around Rhett’s waist, pulling him into a clumsy side hug around the boxes and hot cup of coffee. 

“Of course” Rhett promised, Jen had started at the same time as Rhett when they were nothing more than interns, coffee-makers and floor sweepers - he loved her dearly. He loved all of his colleagues dearly, the only thing that had ever hurt more than giving up this job was having to give up Link. 

“See you around, McLaughlin” She said, giving him one last squeeze as she headed back to her office. 

“… Oh, and by the way, he’s in the Holiday Inn, not the Plaza” She called, slipping back into her office with a triumphant smile plastered on her face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What will Rhett do with such information, I wonder... 
> 
> @rhettjmc on tumblr <3


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3

Link laid on the hotel bed, with only two bags of possessions and Jade to his name. 

_ He was free.  _

He had no home anymore, no husband, no kids and probably, no job to go back to after all the time he’d called in sick for. 

_ But he was free.  _

Yet, without Rhett laying next to him, it didn’t feel worth it. 

Jade curled up on his chest, whining softly as she tried to fall into a fitful sleep. He’d had to sneak her past reception, under his coat. Pets weren’t allowed in the hotel, but Link figured he’d take the risk - short of sleeping in his car, he didn’t have much of a choice anyway. She was the only thing Link had left. She was probably the only thing he’d ever have left. 

He wanted to feel sorry for himself, he wanted to cry for the fact his marriage was over, for real - but he just _couldn’t._ He was too busy fretting over the fact Rhett was now jobless, because of him. Rhett had always given Link everything, yet Link was always letting him down. 

He tugged at the gross-looking duvet, sliding underneath the conspicuous sheets. It wouldn't have been Link's first choice of hotel, or second, or probably even third - but he had no idea how long he'd have to stay there until he could find an apartment to rent, so it would have to do. Jade curled up on the pillow beside him, offering him a reassuring lick before falling back to sleep with ease. 

Link had no such luck, he tossed and turned for what felt like hours, the image of Rhett crying after Link said he was leaving still engrained every time he closed his eyes. He didn't know how he was supposed to live with himself. 

-

A sharp knock on the door had Link jolting awake almost an hour later. It took a few moments for him to fully situate himself, blinking rapidly to try and figure out where he was. When he finally realised he was still in the hotel, Jade snoring softly next to him, he suddenly panicked - assuming the worst, that the staff had found out he’d snuck Jade in. 

He bundled her up in a comforter, spooking her awake and quickly shut her behind the door to the bathroom, silently pleading and gesturing for her to stay quiet. 

“Just a sec!” Link called towards the door after a second knock came, frantically trying to tug a hoodie over his head, limbs and glasses getting tangled in the process. He took another glance towards the bathroom door, seemingly satisfied with the lack of confused yapping coming from the other side. 

He pulled open the door, ready to be greeted by various members of staff needing to inspect the room. Instead, stood a 6"7 frame, wrapped up in an NC Wolfpack hoodie and curls pulled back into a hair tie.

“Wh- Rhett?” Link stuttered, taking in the man before him. He'd seen him in the hallway earlier, just the back of him for a split second - but this was the first time he'd properly _seen_ him in over three weeks. He didn't think he'd ever missed a sight so much as the one before him. 

“I figured you could use some company? Heard you had a long day” Rhett replied shyly, scratching the back of his neck, a pizza box in his other hand. 

“Rhett” Link repeated, whispering as his eyes glossed over. 

“Let me in, dummy” Rhett chuckled softly, slipping through the door as Link stood to the side to let him past. Rhett walked over to the small desk, placing the pizza down carefully as he surveyed the rest of the room. 

“Where’s Jade?” Rhett asked, looking around the room quizzically. 

“Uh, I hid her, I thought you were hotel staff or something” Link admitted, flushing with embarrassment as he padded over to the bathroom, opening the door to let Jade out. She instantly skidded out, blanket still draped over her back, trying to figure out where the new voice was coming from.  She instantly bounded over to Rhett, clawing desperately at his shins. Link watched as he scooped her up, giggling as she lapped at his face, nuzzling her head against Rhett’s beard. 

“I missed you!” Rhett cooed, scratching her belly as he cradled her in his arms. After a few more moments of greetings and endearments, Rhett placed her carefully on the bed, looking back at Link.

“How did you know I was here?” Link asked Rhett, taking a step towards him. 

“Jen told me you were staying here and I had to pay the guy on reception a hefty tip to give me your room number” Rhett grinned, chuckling to himself. 

“I don’t deserve for you to be here” Link admitted, swallowing the lump forming in his throat. 

“Shut up... and come here” Rhett said softly, holding out his arms to Link. Link immediately obliged, almost knocking the taller man over with the sheer force that he barrelled into him. 

“I missed you, so much” Link signed, his head buried into the crook of Rhett’s neck. He smelt like his fruity beard oil and salty skin and _Rhett._

“You’re going to be the death of me, you know that Neal?” Rhett giggled, bringing one large palm up to cup the back of his head carefully, cradling the smaller man. 

“I know, I’m sorry” 

“We’ve had enough sorries to last a lifetime, don't you think?” Rhett murmured, pressing a kiss into Link’s matted hair. 

“I’ll never stop being sorry” Link whimpered, squeezing his arms tighter around Rhett’s waist, willing him to never let him go again. 

“We’re here now, it’s okay” Rhett reassured him, unpeeling them from the entanglement of limbs. “C’mon, let's eat, then we’re leaving” 

“Leaving?” Link asked curiously, clambering onto the bed, settling in against the cheap pillows. 

“I’m taking you home, you two can’t stay here” Rhett said casually, retrieving the pizza box and flopping down next to Link, taking extra care to not disturb Jade who had promptly fallen back to sleep. 

“Wh- I can’t go home Rhett” Link said dumbly, staring at Rhett as if he was completely stupid. 

“No, my house, idiot” Rhett laughed fondly, shoving a slice of lukewarm pizza towards Link’s mouth.

“No - No, I can’t impose on you like that, it’s not fair - I’m just staying here till I find an apartment or something” Link insisted, taking a small bite of the slice, allowing the warmth of Rhett’s thumb as he swiped away a crumb on his lip to wash over him.

“It’s not up for debate” Rhett shook him off, grinning as he almost swallowed his slice of pizza whole. 

Link huffed, admitting defeat as he sulked quietly. He was grateful, so grateful for Rhett. But he hated feeling like a burden - like he was useless and constantly needed saving. Even when married he’d had to fend for himself for so long, he wasn’t used to being coddled. 

“You’re not being a burden, Link” Rhett said like he could read Link’s mind. “I’d just rather have you at home, knowing you’re both safe - but I won't force you if you really want to stay here”

Link swallowed his pride, he didn't know if he'd see Rhett again if he didn't go with him.

“I want to go with you” Link said quietly, shuffling closer to Rhett on the bed. 

“Eat up then” Rhett teased, handing him another slice of pizza. 

“I’m sorry about your job, I promise you I had no idea” Link said, wincing slightly as he watched the smile drop from Rhett's face. 

“It’s okay” Rhett shrugged, setting the half-eaten slice of his pizza down, wiping his greasy fingers on his jeans. 

“It’s not, I was so mad when you told me, I literally just shoved everything I cared about in a bag and left” Link said fiercely, his jaw clenched tight with anger. 

“Then it was worth it, losing my job I mean - if it means you’re away from him, that’s all that matters to me - I just want you to be okay” Rhett admitted, reaching out to stroke a thumb along Link’s tensed jawline, soothing him. 

Link looked at the taller man with nothing but adoration. God, was he in love with this man. He’d spend the rest of his life trying to make himself worthy of Rhett’s heart if that's what it took. He didn’t know where to start with repairing what he’d so foolishly broken, but he was going to try. 

“You’ve sacrificed so much for me, I don’t know why - you deserve so much more, Rhett. I don’t know what I can offer you” 

“I’d do anythin’ for you, darlin’” Rhett smiled, still cupping his jaw tenderly. 

“I just feel-“ 

“Hush, let's just eat, we can talk when we’re home” 

_Home._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short but sweet chapter for you all, finally the boys are baaaack!! 
> 
> There's like, 3 more chapters to come - full of fluff and maybe,,, smut,,,, <3
> 
> @rhettjmc on tumblr!


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pure fluff and smut, no more angst y'all!

When pizza boxes had finally been emptied, Rhett practically dragged Link out of the room, bags slung over his shoulder and Jade cuddled close, to the parking lot. Rhett offered to drive Link’s car back, holding his hand on the centre console until the moment he’d cut the ignition in the driveway. 

Before Link had a moment to think, he was sat on the couch, wrapped in a fluffy blanket with Jade on his lap and the sound of the electric kettle boiling in the kitchen. Rhett came padding into the living room, two steaming mugs of tea in each hand and a soft grin painted on his face. 

“Comfy?” Rhett asked, handing Link his cup. Link nodded, smiling back at him. 

“I’m not even sure where to start” Rhett chuckled, running his long fingers through his beard thoughtfully. 

“I guess, maybe - What exactly this is?” Link ventured shyly, gesturing his free hand between them. 

“What do _you_ want it to be?” Rhett always gave Link control over these kinds of situations, knowing that Link had spent the large majority of the last four years feeling completely out of control. 

“Everything, Rhett - I want everything, with you, like you said you’d give me before” Link said earnestly, nudging his glasses anxiously as he recalled the day Rhett had offered his heart, only for Link to walk away. 

“Then everything is yours” Rhett said easily, smiling softly, his nose crinkling and the apples of his cheeks blooming. 

“That was easy” Link giggled, his own cheeks flushing. Who knew it _could_ be this easy?

“Do you think we should wait? Until the divorce is finalised, I mean?” Rhett asked him more seriously, taking a sip of his tea. 

“I will if that would make you feel better, but I don’t want to wait, I’ve wasted enough time away from you as it is” Link admitted.

“I… I’m not sure… Maybe? I guess I’m just afraid of having this all taken away again” Rhett said quietly, his gaze falling to his lap. 

“Rhett…” Link said softly, heart nipping at his ribs. “… You have every right not to trust me, I know I’ve messed up too many times, but _this_ is what I want, what I’ve wanted ever since I came to see you that early morning and you remembered how I took my coffee… I’m sorry that it took me so long to be brave” 

“You’ve always been brave” Rhett reminded him, pulling the other end of his blanket over his legs, extending his foot to nudge Link’s thigh gently. 

“If waiting is what you want, I’ll go apartment hunting, we can go on dates and start over - Whatever you need” Link assured him, tapping his socked foot against Rhett’s thigh in return. 

“No, no - you don’t need to do that. You can have my guest room, I want you here” 

“I’m yours, Rhett, _always_ ” 

“I- You said that before, at the reunion - then you left again” Rhett swallowed, chasing the lump forming in this throat. 

“I know baby, I’m so sorry - Dan said all this stuff about making sure I’d never be a father and I panicked, I was selfish - I just want a family so badly and I didn’t know if I’d ever get the chance again” Link sighed, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth. 

“Link… Why didn’t you tell me?” Rhett shook his head, his eyes softening instantly. 

“You’d already sorted out so many of my messes, I just thought letting you go would be easier” Link admitted, grimacing at the thought. 

“It’s okay, I understand why you did it, thank you for telling me” Rhett assured him, tangling his extended legs with Link’s under the blanket. 

“This reminds me of us playing footsie under the table that time in the coffee shop” Link grinned.

“I wasn’t very professional, was I?” Rhett teased, throwing his head back as he laughed. God, had Link missed that sight.

“I wouldn’t call sucking your client off in a bathroom professional, no” Link shot back, waggling his eyebrows in jest, only to be rewarded with a pillow thrown in his face. 

“Don’t try and use your filthy mind to distract me, Neal, we have serious things to discuss” Rhett scolded him between giggles, grabbing another pillow to smack him with - just in case. 

“Alright, alright” Link raised his palm in defeat, unable to wipe the grin from his face. 

“Do you think Daniel will sign?” Rhett asked more seriously, setting his mug on the coffee table and wrapping his arms around the pillow, resting his chin on the top of the plush material. 

“I hope so? I doubt he’d want to spend his money on taking it to court” Link shrugged, mirroring Rhett by setting his own mug down, busying his fidgeting hands with plucking at the thread of the blanket. 

Rhett hummed in agreement, reaching out to Jade as she awoke from her nap, clambering over the pile of legs and blankets to reach the taller man. 

“I was gonna get a dog, you know” Rhett chuckled softly, smoothing the soft fur of Jade’s back with his warm palm. 

“Really?!” Link asked excitedly, his eyes widening. 

“Yup, to fill the you-shaped hole in my heart” He replied dramatically, jokingly clutching at his heart. 

“Wait, that’s so sad!” Link whined, jutting his bottom lip out in a pout. He didn’t like to imagine Rhett, sat alone on this very couch, trying to think of ways to make his life seem less lonely without Link in it. 

“I can just get a smaller dog instead, now that you’re back in here” Rhett grinned, patting his hand over his heart. 

“Idiot” Link mumbled, blushing at the endearment. 

-

As the night progressed, Link had shuffled to the other end of the couch, now tucked safely under Rhett’s arm. Jade had left them to it, now curled up on the armchair chewing aimlessly on a treat, Link discovered that Rhett had bought a whole selection of treats for Jade previously, that had been pushed to the back of his cupboard after Link left again. They’d mostly spent the evening talking, making sure any concerns they had were properly addressed, they didn’t want to leave any stone unturned if they were serious about making this work. It was obvious to Link that he had a lot of trust to rebuild with Rhett, Link understood that - he would be patient, he would show Rhett every day just how much he adored him - that he was here to stay. Link had thanked Rhett profusely for being honest with him, for communicating his fears and concerns, he’d never had this level of communication in his previous relationship with Daniel. 

Link twisted his head carefully, pressing a kiss to Rhett’s bearded jaw, desperate to feel his skin against his lips again. 

“You okay?” Rhett asked softly, looking down at Link with tender eyes. 

“Yeah” Link responded, craning his neck further to present his mouth to Rhett, yearning for a kiss. Rhett indulged him, leaning down to slot their mouths together tentatively. Link hummed contently at the contact, kissing Rhett back with gentle adoration, basking in the feeling of his beard tickling against his skin. He’d missed this. Rhett pulled away slowly, only to press a litter of tiny kisses over Link’s face, smiling as Link squirmed under the affection. 

“You’re cute” Rhett grinned, pressing another kiss to Link’s nose. 

“Shaddup” Link flushed with embarrassment, burying his face in the crook of Rhett’s nose. 

“You tired baby?” Rhett asked, running his fingers through the back of Link’s hair, twirling the strands of salt and pepper. 

“No, just wanna kiss you” Link mumbled into the skin of his neck, following his point with a soft peck to Rhett’s jugular. 

“Then get up here, sweetheart” Rhett grinned, shuffling to allow Link reposition. Rhett on his back, with Link straddling his hips carefully. Once comfortable, Rhett reached up to cup the back of Link’s hair, gently tugging him down to meet his mouth. The kiss was soft and slow and deep and deliberate, each allowing the other to refamiliarise themselves, making up for lost time. Every movement was gentle and patient, no urgency, no rushing - they had all the time in the world. 

“I adore you, Link, you know that?” Rhett said, muttering the admission against Link’s mouth, stroking his brow bone with the pad of his thumb. 

“Rhett…” Link almost moaned, lacing his fingers through the hand that Rhett had settled on his face. “… I want you, all of you” He whispered, rocking his hips slightly to grind against Rhett’s crotch, earning a hiss of pleasure from the wanton man below him. 

“It’s all yours, baby” Rhett replied, bucking his hips as he wrapped both arms around Link’s waist, pulling them up into a seated position. Now level with Rhett’s eye line, Link smiled at him, brushing at a loose curl that had fallen from its confine at the top of Rhett’s head. Allowing his fingertips to trace each curve and line of his lovers face, basking in the beauty of freckled skin, rosy cheeks and crows feet as the man smiled. Rhett pressed a kiss to Link’s fingertips, allowing one of his own hands to slide up and rest between Link’s shoulder blades, following the movement with a kiss to the corner of his mouth. 

“Come upstairs” Link whispered, pressing one final kiss to Rhett’s mouth, climbing off of his lap and pulling Rhett up with him. This time, it was Rhett being guided up the stairs by Link. Rhett sighed contently as he thought about how different things were now - there was no voice in his head, warning him that it was wrong, even though it felt _so_ right. Link nudged open the bedroom door with his foot, his fingers still tightly tangled in Rhett’s, pulling the taller man into the room and clicking the door closed. 

“Do you want to do this, Rhett?” Link whispered, looking up at him with adoration, cupping his bearded cheek as he stroked it softly. 

“More than anything” Rhett confirmed, bringing his slender fingers to the hem of Link’s hoodie, tugging at it. Link immediately lifted his arms up, allowing careful hands to pull the material over his head, the same careful hands collecting his glasses at the same time - setting them on the dresser. Link followed suit, pulling off Rhett’s jumper, intentionally tugging a little too hard as it peeled over his head, pulling the hair tie off and letting Rhett’s curls loose. 

“Can I take care of you tonight?” Link asked, the implication in his tone as wandering fingers fell to Rhett’s belt. 

“Anything you want sweetheart, anything” Rhett insisted, kissing Link’s forehead tenderly as his belt was unbuckled and pulled away, quickly followed by his jeans that pooled to the floor. Link took a step back, trying to focus his eyes towards the man now stood in his boxers and t-shirt in the darkness. Link made quick work of ridding Rhett of his t-shirt, adding it to the pile of extracted clothing, pushing his chest gently until he hit the bed. 

“Lay down, baby” Link instructed softly as he pulled his own shirt off of his torso hastily, adding his own jeans and t-shirt to the pile. Rhett obeyed, laying flat on his back on his untouched sheets, realising this was the first time he’d been on this bed since Link left three weeks ago. In a sudden moment of vulnerability, Rhett reached out to Link, silently begging with his eyes to be held. Link understood immediately, crawling over to Rhett, bracketing his hips with his legs and laying flat against his chest. Rhett wrapped his arms around Link’s back, clutching him tightly as he took a shaky breath. 

“You okay babe? You want to stop?” Link asked, the side of his face resting on one of Rhett’s pecs. 

“No- I just, I just wanted to make sure this was real” Rhett admitted, his voice wobbling as he tightened his grip around the man splayed over his chest. 

“I’m here, I’m never leaving again” Link reassured him softly, pushing himself up carefully, twisting so both of his hands were either side of Rhett’s head, looking down at the man. “Let me see you baby” Link whispered, reaching over with one hand to switch on the lamp, instantly rewarded with a soft, yellow glow over Rhett’s form. Link inhaled deeply, staring down at his love - golden curls spread over the pillow, framing his head like a halo, gentle hazel eyes full of love and vulnerability stared up at him. 

“I’m gonna take care of you, Rhett, gonna make you feel real good, I promise” Link cooed, ducking down to press a reassuring kiss to the man beneath him, slowly pressing wet kisses over his jaw and neck, sucking at the sensitive skin on his descent. He continued to trail tentative kisses over Rhett’s torso, not stopping until he reached the waistband of black boxers. 

“Look at you, baby, so beautiful for me” Link gushed in a whisper, wrapping a shaky hand around Rhett’s clothed cock, squeezing gently. Rhett whined softly at the touch, bucking his hips to chase the feeling. Link peeled away the cotton, assisting Rhett in kicking them off so that he was now laid bare beneath him. Link curled his fingers around Rhett’s length again, experimenting with a few dry strokes, as Rhett fumbled in his bedside drawer, returning with a bottle of lube and a condom. Link popped the cap, covering his fingers with the slick substance, warming it between the pads of his fingers before returning them to Rhett’s cock, stroking with ease. 

“Open your legs for me please, gorgeous” Link asked, tapping the inside of Rhett’s thigh with the back of his hand as he continued to work Rhett with long, slow strokes. Rhett submitted, spreading his legs timidly, rewarded with a kiss to his hip bone as Link settled comfortably between them. “I’ll be gentle, sweetheart, I promise” Link assured him, grinning as he saw the taller man blush under the bombardment of endearments spilling from Link’s mouth. 

Link poured more of the lube over his fingers, warming it again before slowly pressing them to Rhett’s entrance, rubbing gently around the tight ring of muscle. Rhett relaxed instantly, sighing with pleasure as the tension flushed from his muscles. 

“That’s it, such a good boy for me” Link cooed, applying gentle pressure with his ring finger as it breached the rim, slowly sinking in until he reached his second knuckle.

”Oh… Link…” Rhett whimpered, his head thrown back onto the pillows, his tongue coming out to wet his lips frantically. 

“Feel good?” Link asked, slowly pumping his finger in and out, feeling the man beneath him loosen with every stroke. 

“So good” Rhett almost cried, his hand coming up to tangle in his curls, tugging on them. “More, please” Rhett asked quietly, his legs trembling under Link’s touch. Link obliged, pushing his middle finger in alongside his ring finger with the next pump, his spare hand coming down to palm at his own cock as Rhett mewled in delight. 

Link leaned down, scattering light kisses to the inside of Rhett’s thigh as he began to scissor his fingers, leaving Rhett gasping at the stretch. “You’re taking it so well baby, so good” Link praised him, sucking on the skin of his thigh. 

“Link… more… please” Rhett whined, his voice cracking as Link added a third finger carefully, pumping and stretching until he was satisfied, wanting to make sure Rhett was ready. “I’m ready, baby, Link, please” Rhett almost begged, pawing at Link’s shoulders in desperation. 

“Okay, baby, okay” Link soothed him, carefully sliding his fingers out and wiping them against his own boxers, before discarding them across the room. He was painfully hard at the sight and sound of Rhett alone, he knew he wouldn’t be able to last long, but he so desperately wanted to make Rhett feel good. He unwrapped the condom with ease, squeezing his cock to stop himself cumming at the sight of Rhett spread out beneath him, staring up at him with blown pupils and scarlet cheeks. Rhett watched intently as he rolled the condom over his cock, slicking himself up with a little extra lube, before shuffling into position. 

“You tell me if it hurts or I need to stop, okay?” Link asked him firmly, his hand wrapping at the base of his own cock to line up at Rhett’s entrance. 

“I will, I promise” Rhett agreed eagerly. 

Link slowly pushed, both of them gasping violently as the blunt tip breached the taller man’s rim, dragging a baritone moan from Rhett’s chest. 

“Okay baby? Can I move?” Link’s voice shook, willing himself not to cum instantly. 

“Yeah... Yeah… Just…” Rhett croaked, patting his hand on the sheets in search of Link’s. Link smiled softly at him, entwining their fingers as Link pushed deeper until his hips touched bare skin. 

“Baby…” Rhett cried, his legs wrapping around Link’s waist, trying to urge him deeper. Link squeezed his hand gently, ducking his head down to slot their mouths together, providing his love with a warm, wet, reassuring kiss before slowly pulling out. 

Rhett cried out softly as Link thrust back in with ease, offering slow and deep strokes as the legs around him tightened. Link knew at that moment, that _this_ was the difference between fucking and making love. This was _everything_. 

“Rhett…’ Link whimpered as he buried deeper into him, their hands still clasped tightly together. Link hovered over his face as he continued to fuck him slowly, pressing against the tight bundle of nerves each time. 

Rhett reached his free hand up, cupping Link’s jaw with gentle fingers, smiling up at the man above him. 

“Link… _My Link_ … My love…” Rhett whispered, stroking away a wet trail that crept out of Link’s eyes. 

“Rhett… I love you” Link cried softly, his mouth just inches above Rhett’s. 

“I love you darlin’, I love you” Rhett responded, his whole body trembling as he hurtled towards an orgasm, completely untouched. 

“I love you” Link repeated, gradually quickening his pace as the tightness in the pit of his stomach grew. 

“ _I love you_ ” 

“ _I love you, I always will”_

“Link… I’m… I’m gonna…” Rhett whimpered, tightening the grip of his legs around Link’s waist. 

“Let go for me, baby, let me see you cum… please” Link begged, fucking into him with nothing short of love and adoration and _I would die for you._ So Rhett did, moaning softly as he spilt over himself, shooting thick ropes of cum over his own chest as Link continued to fuck him, desperately chasing his own release. 

“Use me… baby” Rhett pleaded, boneless and spent. Link hoisted his ankles over his shoulders, gripping them as he fucked into him, revelling in the overstimulated cries falling from Rhett’s chest. Just second later, Link was spilling into the condom, still buried deep inside his love, carefully letting his legs down as he flopped over Rhett, panting. 

They laid in blissful silence for a few moments, both catching their breath the best they could, Rhett almost instantly reaching for Link’s hand again. 

“Look at me” Rhett asked softly, to which Link lifted his head, wincing slightly as he slipped out of Rhett carefully. Both sticky and spent, they stared at each other. 

“I love you” Link told him again.

“I love you” Rhett responded like it was the easiest thing he’d ever said. 

“I’ll get you a towel and some water, then we can get some sleep” Link said as he peeled himself away from Rhett, padding over to the ensuite, quickly returning with a warm washcloth. He wiped away the remnants of their love, running a careful hand through honey-coloured curls as Rhett yawned quietly, snuggling into the pillow. 

“Hey, don’t fall asleep on me just yet” Link teased him, rooting through Rhett’s dresser to find them both a pair of pyjama pants, helping the sleepy man into his the best he could. Rhett tried to grab at him, attempting to pull him back into bed, much to the delight of Link. 

“I’ll be back baby, I just need to check on Jade - can I bring her up?” Link asked him, already knowing the answer. 

“Course darlin’, don’t have to ask, this is your house as much as mine” Rhett mumbled into his pillow, allowing his eyelids to finally shut. Link bit back the tears at the sleepy confession, bending over to press a kiss to Rhett’s forehead. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh, two chapters to go! The next is the morning after, then the final is the epilogue!!! We're so close to the finish line, I'm almost upset that it's ending!!
> 
> @rhettjmc on tumblr <3


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A tiny short chapter full of fluff!!! This is the last chapter before the epilogue which will hopefully be up sometime this week, it's a huuuuuge chapter so it's taking some time to write and edit! 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has left kudos and comments, it means a lot to me <3

Link awoke the next morning to soft lips pressed to his temple. 

“Morning” He mumbled, still slipping out of consciousness as Rhett climbed back into bed next to him, wrapping a strong arm around his waist and pulling him close, so his back was pressed against Rhett’s chest. “Where’d you go?” 

“Morning” Rhett murmured into his ear, pressing another kiss to his neck. Link squirmed in delight, shuffling further into Rhett’s touch. “I went to let Jade out, she’s downstairs eating breakfast” he explained.

Link assumed that Rhett had fallen back to sleep after a few moments silence until the voice thick with sleep spoke up again. “You workin’ today, Bo?” 

Link groaned, realising he hadn’t been in to work for a week, he was definitely fired. He hadn’t answered their calls or emails of concern, his deadlines were long overdue. “I’m fairly certain I’m fired” Link admitted, rubbing his hands over his eyes to try and wake himself up. 

“Join the club” Rhett teased, squeezing his waist fondly. 

“I didn’t like my job anyway” Link muttered, lacing his fingers through Rhett’s on his waist, rubbing his thumb over the back of Rhett’s hand. 

“Yeah? So, whaddya wanna do instead?” Rhett asked curiously into the back of his raven hair, periodically planting feather-light kisses to the exposed skin of Link’s shoulder.

“Dunno, I’ve always wanted to teach, but it’s too late for that now” Link sighed, gently pulling himself free from the embrace so he could roll over to face Rhett. 

“Why is it?” Rhett frowned, reaching out to brush away the floppy hair that had fallen in Link’s face during his reposition. 

“Cause I’d have to go back to school, I can’t exactly do that” Link replied as if it was obvious. 

“Why?” Rhett asked again, fingers still fiddling with fine strands of silver hair, his eyes hooded with sleep. 

“Cause I’ve already been to school, I’m too old, it’s a huge waste of money…” Link huffed, counting the reasons on his fingers.

“Says who? Daniel?” Rhett interjected, rolling his eyes, suddenly more awake. 

“What, you seriously think I should go back to school?” Link almost laughed at the absurdity of the suggestion. 

“If that’s what you want to do, yes” Rhett responded honestly, smoothing his thumb over Link’s scowl lines. 

“I wouldn’t want to go back to NC State, though” Link said, chewing on his bottom lip as if he was seriously starting to consider the idea.

“Okay, so, where do you wanna go?” Rhett asked, smiling at Link’s sudden interest in pursuing his dream. 

“Uhh… UCLA maybe? I’ve always wanted to live there” Link admitted shyly, a blush creeping over his face, as if it was a stupid suggestion. 

Rhett hummed in response, falling silent for a few moments as he ran his fingers through his beard.

“But that’s dumb, obviously, just a stupid dream - obviously I wouldn’t go there, not now I have you, I’ll just find another job, I’m sure I can do something in the media business around here, or become a cashier, or whatever - It doesn’t matter” Link rambled suddenly, frightened by Rhett’s sudden silence. 

“I don’t want you to put your dreams on hold for me, baby” Rhett said softly, scooting forward to planting a kiss to his forehead. 

“No, Rhett, stop it, I’m not gonna even consider it! I’m not doin’ the long-distance thing, it’d kill me not having this, now that you’re finally here” Link almost whimpered, reaching out to grab the taller man in a sudden move of desperation. 

“Who said we had to do long distance? Rhett asked casually, grabbing Link’s wrists and pressing a kiss to the inside of each one.

“Wh- What?! You mean break up?! Rhett, please, it was just a stupid idea-“ Link panicked, almost throwing himself on top of the man, scrambling to touch him. 

“Link, calm down, I meant let’s move there, _both_ of us” Rhett giggled softly, pulling Link entirely onto him, squishing him close to his bare chest. 

“Huh?” Link said, bewildered. 

“You want to move there? Let’s go” Rhett shrugged easily, tracing his fingers over the divots of Link’s spine. Link stayed silent, his chest rising and falling frantically on top of Rhett. 

“Are you joking?” Link whispered, afraid to look at the man below him. 

“No, baby, remember what I said? Whatever you want, it's yours” Rhett replied, carefully sliding Link off of his chest, sitting up against the headboard. 

“Rhett, you can’t just give up your life here for me, I- I mean we haven’t even officially been together for 24 hours yet” Link’s voice wavered, sitting up cross-legged to face him. 

“Why not? I don’t talk to my family; I have no job here - If I were to stay here, I’d be pursuing my life with you, so why can’t we do that somewhere you’ll be happy?” Rhett questioned, tilting his head slightly. 

“I’m scared it won't be enough for you, that _I_ won't be enough for you” Link admitted, the voice in his head still taunting him. 

“Link, do you love me?” Rhett asked simply.

“Of course, more than anything” Link responded firmly, shuffling over to sit next to Rhett, resting his head to his shoulder. 

“Then you’re already enough for me” Rhett grinned, leaning down to press a kiss to Link’s mouth. 

“Don’t kiss me! I have morning breath” Link squirmed away suddenly, trying to back away from the touch - but to no avail. Rhett wrapped his arm around his waist and pulled him back again, planting an array of kisses all over Link’s face and neck, making the smaller man giggle furiously. 

“Stop it! Or I’ll move to California without you” Link joked, laughing and shoving him playfully before quickly giving Rhett his own kiss. 

“Be my guest baby, let's see how long you can last without me” Rhett grinned smugly, grabbing Link’s wrists and pinning him down to the bed, hovering over him. The smug look on his face not faltering as Link whined softly whilst wet kisses were placed over his throat and collarbones. 

“So beautiful” Rhett murmured into the crook of his neck, nibbling softly. 

“Shouldn’t we be doing some productive, like, uh… t-talking about moving? Sorting our lives out?” Link struggled to ask, writhing under Rhett’s mouth. 

“This is productive” Rhett teased, licking a stripe over his left collarbone before sucking an impressive bruise into the skin, soothing it with his tongue as it began to darken. 

“You’re insatiable” Link sighed, his own hands wandering down to the waistline of Rhett’s pyjamas, teasing the taller man.

“Fine, let’s get up” Rhett huffed, pressing one last kiss to the tip of Link’s nose and rolling off of him. “I’ll go make us some coffee - you want to go sit in the office? We can look at the college application over breakfast” Rhett said, pulling his discarded hoodie from the night before over his head. 

“Sounds good, I need to call my Mama first, I should probably tell her what’s going on” Link grimaced, realising the last time he spoke to her he was still ‘happily’ married. He should probably return the calls from his boss too, one thing at a time.

“Good luck” Rhett grinned, blowing him a kiss and slipping out into the hallway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things we love to see: Rhett encouraging Link to follow his dreams


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we are at the end!! Thank you so much for all of the comments and kudos and love y'all have given me during my first chaptered fic, it means so much! <3 
> 
> Here's a fairly wordy epilogue of their life after they move away, Link finally gets his happy ending <3

It wasn’t that Link was miserable. He didn’t have a whole lot of reason to be. 

Over the past 3 years, he’d felt more alive than he ever had before. 

Exactly one month after Rhett had shown up to Link’s hotel room, Link had signed the papers and finalised his divorce. He was right, Daniel hadn’t bothered to spend his money taking it to court - instead, offering Link 25% of their old house when he sold it and moved back to his parents’ town, not contacting Link again after that. 

Link didn’t care about the money, why would he? He had everything he needed, the man of his _literal_ dreams, hopes for the future and an offer placed on a quaint house in California. 

He could’ve cried every time he thought about the day they’d arrived home after spending the day down by the creek; swimming, kissing, talking, to a letter addressed to Link on the doormat. Link, of course, immediately assumed the worst. The envelope wasn’t ostentatious enough to home an acceptance letter, he immediately began to spiral without lifting the wax seal from the envelope, rambling to Rhett that they should call the estate agent and withdraw their offer, they wouldn’t be moving to California anymore. 

Rhett, having witnessed one too many of Link’s meltdowns immediately grabbed him by the hand, pulling him towards the couch and setting him on his lap. He pressed a kiss to his cheek, tucking an overgrown strand of damp hair, still tainted from the creek, behind his ear to soothe him. _Go on, open it then!_ Rhett encouraged him, pressing more kisses to his hairline until the smaller man’s hands shook a little less, his fingers reluctantly tearing at the paper. 

And, of course, the first line of the letter was _Congratulations! -_ Link had been accepted into the teaching programme, the letter detailing how impressed they were with Link’s application, that they knew he would be a great addition to their class. Rhett waited patiently for Link to read it thoroughly, not reading it over his shoulder as much as he was dying to. Link silently shoved the letter into his hands, climbing off of his lap and standing in the middle of the living room, mouth falling open. Rhett’s eyes made quick work of the text, his smile growing with each line he read, before jumping up and cheering loudly. 

_You did it! You freaking did it, Bo!_ He yelled, wrapping his arms tightly around Link’s waist and lifting him up in the air, much to the dismay of his lower back. Rhett didn’t let that stop him though, he spun Link around before setting him back on his feet, immediately engulfing him in a bear hug. _I’m so proud of you, oh my gosh!_ Rhett had cooed, tears pooling in his eyes as he squeezed Link even tighter, the smaller man breathing heavily into his shoulder. 

_Rheeeetttt, you’re squashing me!_ Link had whined, jabbing him in the ribs playfully before squirming out of the embrace, smiling uncontrollably as he saw his love wipe the tears from his eyes. Rhett just smiled back at his, grabbing him by either side of his face and crashing his lips against the smaller man’s, desperately trying to convey with his tongue how proud he was. It wasn’t long before Link was thrown over his shoulder and carried upstairs to their bedroom.

After that day, they slowly started to pack up Rhett’s house. Link insisted that they donate most of the furniture to Goodwill so they could start fresh, but Rhett secretly knew it was because Link felt guilty about not having anything of his own to contribute to their new house. 

Once the offer on the house was accepted and Link’s place at UCLA was confirmed, Link went to stay with his Mama for a few days to tell her the news. At first, she was horrified to learn that he had gotten a divorce, but even more horrified to learn the truth about Daniel. She cried and held him close like she used to when he’d scrape his knee after falling off his bike when he was young, she apologised for not keeping him safe - to which Link cried along with her. He then cautiously revealed to her that he had met someone else, his divorce lawyer, in fact. Sue wasn’t happy at first, she worried that Rhett had pursued him when he was vulnerable, of course, she was going to worry - Link was her only boy. As much as Link tried to reassure her that it wasn’t like that, she still wasn’t convinced. 

That was, of course, until Rhett drove down to meet her and spend the night before taking Link home the next day. The moment Sue opened the door to the large man, sporting his famous grin, dressed in a green plaid shirt and a huge bouquet of flowers in his arms - she was sold. Rhett had barely kissed her cheek, shook hands with her husband and complimented their house before Sue was ushering him inside to sit at the table. Link could hardly get a word in edgeways, with Sue bombarding Rhett with questions as soon as they came to mind - _How on earth are you so tall? And how are you so handsome? What! You love to cook? You’re getting a real smoker in the new house?! Oh, Rhett, you’ll have to have us over for dinner sometime, we’ll come to visit as often as you’ll have us! You love to garden too? I’ll have to show you the yard after dinner, you’ll love the poinsettias I’ve grown this year!_

Link didn’t mind though, he could barely keep the grin off of his face as Rhett charmed his Mama, occasionally catching his eye and winking. When Link cleared the plates and began to wash the dishes after dinner, Sue had practically dragged Rhett out into the garden, clutching his arm as she showed him the plants and shrubs she’d grown. _This is how it was supposed to be all along,_ Link had thought to himself. 

It wasn’t always easy, tensions were especially high after they had just moved to California. They bickered and argued over furniture, over the painting of the walls, over who got which side of the bed, over whether they should eat takeout for the fourth night in a row. Link had a very short temper when it came to DIY and Rhett lost his patience with him numerous times but within the hour they had made up, apologised for snapping at one another and carried on. After a few weeks, Link mellowed slightly, after communicating with each other they soon realised that Link was _extremely_ defensive as a result of his previous marriage - something he was now working on in therapy.

Rhett found a job at a family-run law firm who specialised in representing LGBTQ+ cases in court, he rediscovered his old love for helping those who were vulnerable and always came home smiling. Link had warned him not to run off with any of his clients again, Rhett teased him terribly whenever he had a particularly attractive male client - before fucking Link slowly, assuring him that he was the only man for him.

Just two months into their move, both of them had made plenty of friends - both ones they shared and ones they kept separate. Rhett quickly became part of the family at the law firm, he was especially ecstatic to introduce them all to his Link, they adored him just as much as Rhett did.

At first, Link was nervous when asking Rhett if he could see some of the friends he’d made at college on his own, but Rhett encouraged him, assuring him it was healthy to spend time apart - sending him on his way. 

Two years after moving to California, Link had finally graduated from his teaching program at UCLA, ready to start teaching second grade at the local elementary school. His legs trembled as he walked up to the stage after _Charles Lincoln Neal III_ had been called to collect his diploma. The nerves immediately disintegrated as he looked out to the crowd, spotting Rhett with his arm around Sue, both cheering and crying as Link shook the dean’s hand. Rhett had whisked him away for a weekend in the mountains to celebrate, spending two days wrapped up in a cabin. They spent their time lazing in the hot tub, eating good food, drinking far-too-much expensive champagne, fucking and admiring the views before they returned back to reality. Link didn’t mind though, every normal day felt just as exciting when spent with Rhett. 

Becoming a teacher changed Link’s life in so many ways, he almost couldn’t sleep most nights because he was so excited to go to work the next morning. The only person more excited than Link was Rhett, who couldn’t wait to ask how his day was whenever Link came home from a long day. He loved teaching, mentoring and he _loved_ his classes, yet it was bittersweet knowing he’d probably never have children of his own. They hadn’t really spoken about adopting, Link just assumed they would be too old to even be considered, but that all changed just a few weeks later. 

Link had mentioned to Rhett how much he loved his students, telling him how it almost felt like he had one huge family to fill the space of the one they couldn’t have together. _Why do you say that?_ Rhett had asked, raising an eyebrow over the top of the magazine he was reading. _Because we’re too old to adopt!_ Link had huffed, he was feeling particularly upset about it that day. _Hey, less of the old please!_ Rhett joked, standing to wrap his arms around Link from behind, _we might as well try, they can always say no._

Link couldn't get to work on the papers and phonecalls quick enough, contacting every agency in the area, doing his best to sell them as the perfect parents he _knew_ they would be. He never did stop teasing Rhett about getting old, though. He was constantly pointing out the new patches of gray that coated his beard every morning, to which Rhett always replied _I wonder whose fault that is!_ Before kissing him lovingly. 

Fast forward three months and they were painting the walls of the two spare rooms, ready for the arrival of Charlie and Grace, a twin brother and sister who hadn’t found the perfect family yet. Link didn’t sleep for days, constantly fretting and tidying, trying to make everything perfect. They’d met the kids two or three times in order to get to know them, Link was smitten with the both of them as soon as he saw them both grab onto Rhett’s long legs and beg to ride on his shoulders. So, after a month of paperwork and anxious nights - they’d finally come home. 

They fell into a perfect family routine, all four of them squeezed onto Charlie’s bed in the evening to read bedtime stories and press loving goodnight kisses to their heads. Rhett was the _perfect_ father, he was firm but fair, and the kids loved him. Where Rhett fell into the role of dad easily, Link still worried he wasn’t good enough, panicking about every choice and decision he made - but Rhett was always there to reassure him that he was doing great, the kids reinforced that by always screaming with delight whenever he returned home from work. They took constant trips to the park, to the beach, to the fair and to the movies, Rhett insisted on enriching their lives in every way possible to make up for the conditional love he had received as a child. Link was much the same, always bringing home treats from the bakery and never being too busy to wipe away tears when knees were grazed and toys were fought over. 

As much as he adored his children, he sometimes yearned over the times it was just him and Rhett, he missed the weekend getaways and Sunday mornings spent quietly in bed. When he had aired his feelings to Rhett, he had smiled softly, kissing him gently and told Link to _leave it to me._

So now, they were sat by the fire in a luxurious cabin, much like the one Rhett had taken him to after he had graduated. With the kids happily spending a few days with their next-door neighbours, no doubt running havoc with the four kids that lived there, Rhett and Link finally had a few days to themselves. 

Again, it wasn’t like Link was miserable, he had everything. Well, _almost_ everything - Rhett hadn’t proposed yet. In fact, he’d never really broached the subject. Link knew that it wasn’t because he didn’t love him, Rhett proved that he did every day, but Link wanted more than anything to call him _husband._ He wanted Rhett to be the one who redefined the word for him. 

As he looked up at Rhett who had his nose in a book, reading by the fireplace, curls wilder than ever and his frame swamped by a huge blanket, he was more sure than he ever had been before.

“Rhett” Link said quietly, looking up at him over his own book. 

“Yes, darlin?” Rhett responded, his eyes not leaving the pages before him. 

“Marry me?” Link asked, his voice trembling. 

“Okay” Rhett answered softly, instantly. 

“Is that it?!” Link whined, pouting. 

“Of course I’ll marry you baby, I’ve been waitin’ for you to ask” Rhett grinned, lifting up the blanket, signalling for Link to join him. 

“I’ve been waiting for _you_ to ask!” Link sighed exasperatedly, poking Rhett in the chest for emphasis as he climbed under the blanket. 

“I wanted to give you control over it, I didn’t know if you’d want to get remarried sweetheart, didn’t want to spook you” Rhett said carefully, pulling Link into his chest with a kiss to his head. 

“I do want to marry you, I’m serious” Link insisted. 

“Then let’s get married” Rhett replied, squeezing him tight. 

“Second time lucky” Link joked, craning his head to kiss his love. 

“Hey, if it doesn’t work out this time, I know a great divorce lawyer” Rhett grinned, catching Link’s wrist as he tried to smack his arm. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again <3 
> 
> I'm currently working on a new fic that I hope you will all love! The first chapter should be out in a few days :) 
> 
> As always, find me on tumblr @rhettjmc <3


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